


Unlikeliest of Families

by Finnland



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Family, Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-15 22:11:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5802106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finnland/pseuds/Finnland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If you disregard the blood and the fact that the two boys were considered enemies by nature, then you could say that it was a rather friendly, cliche meeting in the rain.<br/>Vampire/Werewolf AU Batfamily No slash, no pairings. Family only.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The stark stench of iron flooded his nostrils, attacking at his senses. It was a familiar scent, one that usually caused his stomach to growl and his mouth to salivate. But this time, his stomach rolled in disgust and his mouth formed into a grimace. He may have been used to the smell of his own blood, but never before in such quantity. The drizzling rain did nothing to help. Instead it soaked through his fur, making him unsure of just how much of the wetness was blood or water. All the while the thick humidity in the air caused the scent of iron to rise, engulfing his senses in a sick vapor.

His body was on fire, as if someone had torn open his pelt and stuffed hot coals in between, and yet his shoulders trembled from the cold. Despite the pain, he continued to trudge forward. His legs shook dangerously with each step, threatening to drop him to the muddy ground of the dark alley. Nothing but his determination kept him walking.

No. It wasn't determination. He was much too exhausted to keep lying to himself. It was fear. Fear of what lurked behind him; fear of them finding him if he stopped. Or, if he was to be more scientific about it, he was running on pure adrenaline. But even that was flowing out of his system as steadily as the crimson blood stained his black fur and spotted the copper ground.

Lightening suddenly shot through his front leg and spasmed painfully, causing him to stumble forward and fall face first into the ground. His chest rose slowly as he took in deep, heavy breathes, but he was never able to take in enough air.

_Get up! You have to get up and keep moving!_

 

He made no physical sign of rising.

 

_Come on, you weakling! They'll find you if you don't keep moving!_

 

Somehow he didn't seem to care much about that anymore.

 

_Are you really giving up? Now? After everything you've been through?_

 

Actually, now was the perfect time to give up. _Especially_ after everything he had been through.

 

_You're pathetic. If your pack wasn't already dead, they'd finish you off themselves._

 

A weak whine broke through the noise of the pounding rain. He nearly jumped in fright at the sound, wondering who could have possibly snuck up on him, despite his condition. It took barely a second later for him to realize that that deplorable, pathetic whimper had come from him.

He took in a deep, ragged breath that caused pain to spike throughout his emancipated form like jagged ice and allowed his head to fall limply into a growing puddle. He'd completely given up on ever moving again.

At least, that's what he had thought.

 

A pointed ear pricked slightly when the harsh cry of a human suddenly broke through the steady drone of the rain. Fear once again shot through him, causing his heart to race and the numbing fog that was beginning to blanket his mind and body to lift.

His blue eyes shut tightly and his heart felt like it would beat right out of his heaving chest.

 

_I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die!_

 

The voices multiplied and grew louder. The echo of their boots stomping through puddles adding to the roar of the storm.

Utilizing his last vestiges of strength, he managed to lift his head from the ground. When a deep cry shot loudly nearby, he slowly got to his shaky feet and turned in the direction of his pursuers.

Let them come. Let them kill him and skin him. Let them parade his coat around the villages in glorious triumph over the cursed, evil wolf. But at least let them say that he didn't go down willingly. After witnessing the murder of his entire family as a cub, fighting off multiple hunters and wolves alike, feeling his stomach cry out in hunger pains and only sustaining his life on the flesh of rats and sheer stubbornness alone, he would not let himself be put down like a some mangy animal. He'd stand tall. He'd stand firm. And hopefully he'd be able to leave his murderers some crippled limbs to remember him by.

 

Within moments, he was staring right in the faces of at least a half a dozen men. Each glared at him menacingly, some sporting victorious grins and sneers. They carried nothing but basic farming tools as weapons, and that caused the wolf to feel even more shame and humiliation at the sight of his impending death. If he hadn't been so weak to begin with...

Slowly the men began taking steps closer to the wolf, side stepping gradually until they had him surrounded. The wolf did his best to eye each of his attackers, breathing hard and waiting with fear and anticipation for the first to get the guts to strike first. His exhaustion decided that the first brave soul would be the one to carry on the proof that he had existed. Now all he had to think about was what the lucky contestant would prefer: a mauled hand or a crippled leg?

He was much too tired to make such important decisions.

 

Laughter erupted among the men as they braced themselves for their imminent attack. One had apparently made a joke about what they'd do to the wolf's body, but this had little affect on the beast. He'd heard it all before anyways.

A menacing growl rumbled in his throat, his icy eyes flashing threateningly for his attackers to just make their move already.

_Hurry up an get it over with!_

 

Finally one of the men took a swift step forward, raising his ax above his head to strike down the injured wolf. With a speed that he had not thought was possible to posses at this point, he shot forward through the opening the man had given him and dug his fangs into the man's throat.

The man's loud, strangled cry was cut short before he fell back in a crumpled heap. The young wolf fell with his victim in a pile of tangled limbs. Angered cries arose and everything seemed to rush at him at him at once. He ran his tongue along his teeth, allowing the human's blood to fill his mouth and overwhelming his senses with one final euphoria.

A boot shot into his side, causing him to gasp painfully and fall to the ground and away from the convulsing man. The young wolf tried to rise, but his lethargy had caught back up to him. He had hardly moved when a shovel smashed into his head. A few more kicks riddled his body, cracking bones and shooting icy hot pain throughout his entire being. His agony filled cries were nearly muted by the heavy humidity and pattering of rain, as if the sky itself was ashamed. As if someone up there just couldn't wait to be rid of the eyesore that he was. Eyes closed for what he suspected to be the last time, waiting for that final strike of an ax, shovel, or scythe to finally erase his existence.

To finally end his suffering.

 

_It was a pretty shoddy life to begin with._

 

And suddenly all was silent.

 

The beatings stopped abruptly, and voices silenced. He would have assumed he had finally died if not for the pulsing pain in his body and the patter of rain drops to remind him that he was (unfortunately) still breathing.

Something seemed to slice through the air and a sudden gasp of breath and then....more silence. But just as suddenly as all sound disappeared, it reappeared as metal clanged against the ground, muffled only by the mud gathering beneath their feet. Then a shuffle and startling thumps along the ground like someone had just dropped a couple sacks of flour.

The wolf tried his best to push back the creeping darkness just a tad longer, his curiosity somehow prevailing enough to urge himself to listen carefully. He didn't know what he expected, but when the patter of rain was all that remained, he dragged himself back into consciousness just enough to crack an eye open weakly.

He could hear nothing but his own ragged breathing and the fall of the rain. It was such a huge contrast to the yells and laughter that had rung through his ears earlier. Going by hearing alone, he'd have suspected he was somehow alone if his blurring vision didn't tell him otherwise.

Standing above him stood a dark figure, head cocked slightly and wide eyes watching him curiously. It took a moment for the wolf to make out details of the figure. Limp, wet black hair hanging over a pale forehead, contrasting heavily with the fresh crimson liquid staining its lips and dripping down its chin. Upon blinking a few times to clear up the fog clouding his vision, the wolf realized that the figure was just a boy. Older than himself, but still obviously so much younger, so much smaller than the five men- corpses, going by the silence and thick scent of blood- that circled them in motionless heaps.

Crouching next to the injured wolf, the boy's inhuman blue eyes scanned over his body. With the sudden close proximity, the wolf was suddenly assaulted by the strange scent the boy carried. A part of his brain buzzed in terror at the realization of just what stood over him, but the other half of his brain couldn't have cared less. At this point it didn't matter in what form his death came. Death was unbiased. In fact, it was the only unbiased thing that the wolf had ever come upon in this dark, cruel world that he lived in.

The boy reached a hand out hesitantly, as if afraid that the wolf would bite it off. When he made no attempt to move, his hand closed up the remaining distance and carefully traced his finger over one of the creature's many wounds.

“You're hurt.” he stated in a voice as smooth as silk that passed over him like a breeze.

If he had the energy, the young wolf would have rolled his eyes at the comment. Instead, he did his best to meet the boy's gaze with his own. That's when he noticed the sudden flash of pity and fear in the boy's eyes.

“Are you still able to transform? You'll be much easier to carry in your human form.”

He narrowed his eyes, managing no more than an indignant huff towards the boy. Like he'd waste his dying breaths on a transformation. He was adamant that he died as a wolf. He would not conform to the form of his hunters. No, he'd die in the very skin that he was hunted for.

The boy cocked his head worriedly, as if reading the wolf's thoughts.

 

“Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help you, but I can't get you out of here like this.”

 

He would have scoffed considering he had heard this mocking reassurance countless of times before from the mouths of his enemies. However, this was somehow different. He was nearly compelled to actually believe the boy. His instincts screamed at him not to, but there was something about him....he wasn't sure if it was that cunning, sly silver tongued ability that this kind was said to posses, or if it was his weak, broken mind that was willing- begging even- to cling on to any possible shred of hope. He preferred to assume that it was the former.

The boy's shining blue eyes continued to stare into his, imploring him to comply. The wolf broke his steady gaze with the boy, instead opting to stare into nothing. Jowls opened and closed, tongue licking away the combination of bloods staining his snout.

He thought carefully about the boy's words. He wanted to listen, to obey if it meant being able to live. But... the idea scared him. His body was already a canvas of wounds and splattered blood, and he almost wondered if the boy could feel his pain with how it seemed to consume everything around him. He could transform....but it'd hurt like hell. A pained whine escaped his throat at just the mere idea of it all. The boy was quick to perk up at the cry, rubbing a surprisingly gentle hand over his brow.

“I know, I know. But you've gotta. Don't worry, I promise I'll get you out of here as fast as I can. I'll get you away from this hell hole.”

The idea was sort of appealing. Even if he was going to die, he'd much rather be away from here to do it.

Shutting his eyes in resignation and in the fear of what was to come, he suddenly began to change. Cracked bones snapped and bruised flesh began to realign. His soft pelt began to melt away like autumn leaves, leaving him with cold, sticky skin. He hadn't noticed when he'd started screaming and writhing in pain, nor did he noticed when the boy shoved his hand into his mouth to stifle the cries. He bit into the hand ravenously, jaws nearly crushing the hand and fangs stabbing into the flesh. The boy was lucky that he was in the process of transforming, otherwise his fangs and wolf jaw would have certainly severed the appendage.

But despite all that, the boy didn't even mutter a single complaint at the pain.

 

When it was finally all over, there lay a bloody and broken boy along the muddy ground, breathing heavily and raggedly, mouth full of blood and tears leaking from his closed eyes. If there was one thing that he especially hated in this form, it was his inability to control or hide his emotions. Soon sobs escaped his throat and he started to curl in on himself, willing the pain, fear and shame to just disappear.

Without wasting any time, his small, emaciated body was lifted into gentle yet strong arms. He instinctively curled into the figure despite the fact that no warmth emanated from the body. Just the gentle contact was enough for him. It'd been so long since he'd had even that.

Soon the rain and the wind were stinging his cheeks as the boy took off at inhuman speeds, jumping over walls and racing over rooftops.

“What's your name?”

With the edges of unconsciousness finally pulling at the wolf boy's mind, he'd hardly heard the question whispered into his ear. Yet, without even thinking, he answered. He hadn't answered on instinct. No, instead, he probably answered in desperation; in hope. No one had bothered to ask him his name for as long as he could remember.

“Jason.”

Everything had started to sound muffled and fuzzy, as if he was suddenly engulfed in cotton, and yet, through the fog Jason was somehow still able to hear the smile in his savior's voice.

“My name is Dick.”

Jason's mouth twitched, as if ready to make some sort of reply, but darkness took him before he could respond.

 

Clutching the limp body closer to his body, the young vampire quickened his pace, leaving the outskirts of the human settlement and towards shelter. He could feel his face being strained by the anxiety and worry to get the child to safety, and yet he couldn't help the slight tug of a smile on his lips at the entire situation. Who would have thought that two common enemies would be brought together like this? Even he wasn't sure why he was helping the dying werewolf cub in his arms, but the moment he had laid eyes on him, he knew that he couldn't abandon him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what I am doing writing this. It is so completely different to my other works in progress, both in genre and in fandom. But I have to admit, I have a secret love for supernatural AU's and of course the BatFamily.  
> **EDITED. There shouldn't be too many typos now.  
> I hope you continue to read and enjoy it. Favs and follows are loved, comments are ADORED.


	2. Chapter 2

If the child in his arms wasn't dying, Dick was pretty sure he wouldn't have returned quite so quickly. He stealthily leaped through the trees, making sure to avoid stepping onto any fallen leaves or twigs. He shuttered internally once he noticed the faint orange light reflecting from deeper within the forest. He would have lingered just beyond to mentally steeling himself for the lecture that surely awaited him. However, he was pushed forward by a moan from the child and the constant shiver that over took his bare and battered body. Dick's thoughts turned back to the small form, taking in the pale, white skin, marred by nasty black bruises and splattered with crimson blood. Dick silently apologized to the boy for having him abandon the warmth of his fur on this cold, autumn night, despite the necessity of the change.

Quickly he entered the small clearing. Though the young vampire couldn't have been quieter as he walked, he had no doubt that his mentor had long knew of his arrival.

  
“Dick.”

As expected, that deep, intimidating voice called out, causing the boy to pause in his approach. Before him sat a large man, some 10 feet away, with his back to Dick. He rested on a log, back bent and elbows rested on his knees. His fingers interlocked together and rested just below his chin as he stared into the fluid, orange flames of the small fire kindled before him. He looked as if to be deep in thought, but Dick knew better. He knew that he had his mentor's full attention.

Dick took in a deep breath. “Bruce, listen-”

“What is that you have there?” Bruce interrupted, his voice remaining as stoic as ever.

Dick shifted the boy gently in his arms, becoming slightly impatient. They didn't have time to discuss this right now! And of course, Bruce already undoubtedly knew everything. With how much blood the boy was covered in he bet that Bruce had smelt him when they were still at least some few miles off.

Dick kept it simple. “A boy. He's hurt, Bruce. We need to help him.”

Silence for a brief moment before he received a reply. “And you do know what he is, correct?”

Dick crinkled his nose in anger. “Of course I do! And it doesn't matter right now! All I know is that he was alone and nearly killed by humans! Now will you help me save him or not?”

The giant man finally turned his head towards the boys, stark blue eyes scanning over the two but lingering longer on the younger.

“Bring him here.”

Dick hadn't realized how stiff he'd been until he was flooded over by relief and quickly carried the boy over to his mentor.

Bruce immediately made room by the fire, grabbing one of their coats (that they never really use anyways) and spreading it on the ground. The boy- Jason, was it?- moaned in pain as Dick transferred him to the ground. Bruce knelt down beside him, running his fingers over the worst of the injuries. Dick watched Bruce carefully, taking in his expressions. While the man was notorious for expressing little emotion, for the years Dick had been with him, he had learned how to read Bruce. From the small flashing of those chilly eyes, to the tightening of his jaw, Dick could interpret it. He observed that Bruce still seemed rather disconcerted due to the fact that he had brought a werewolf- injured child or not- into their camp. However, the more Bruce looked over the nasty wounds blighting the boy's body, the more concerned (and angry?) he began to be.

“Dick, pass me the satchel.” he ordered quickly, not taking his eyes off his patient.

Dick did as commanded, watching as Bruce poured water over the wounds. He desperately wished that he could douse the fire impairing his night vision so he could get a better look at the spectacle. Pretenses be damned, they have a half dead, naked werewolf child with them that needed their attention... But then again, he knew that the boy needed that warmth more.

Time seemed to slow as they looked after the boy. Dick practically bobbing in seat from anticipation and the intense need to do something more to help. But Bruce had him stay where he was, occasionally requiring him to assist him in some meager manner. And he could hardly stand it!

After what seemed like an eternity of anxiety and almost complete silence, Bruce finished wrapping the last Jason's wounds and concluded by wrapping him firmly within his coat. Dick was noticeably relieved once the boy's emaciated figure was covered. He couldn't stand seeing not only the horrible wounds, but also how every bone could be seen from beneath a thin, tightly stretched layer of skin on the body of one so young.

His appearance had at least improved now that he had been taken care of. He was no longer stained in blood, Bruce having patched up all lacerations and having washed away all the red staining his frail body. Color was starting to return to his face and his lips had stopped turning blue. However, he still shivered badly and uttered painful moans through his unsettled sleep.

 

“He should be fine for now.” Bruce reported, standing just to plop back down on his log. “He's lost a lot of blood and wasn't in great condition to begin with by the looks of it, but none of his wounds were caused by silver. Wolves have always been adept healers. It shouldn't take him too long to be back on his feet. Though we'll need to get him to eat something when he wakes up.”

Dick visibly relaxed, seating himself beside the boy on the ground and finally taking in the details of his face. He was young, probably half a decade or so younger than him, but despite that, his face was already somewhat aged and lined with stress. The baby fat that most kids carry in their cheeks (even he, at 14years old, still had his) had disappeared by what was clearly starvation. He remembered the look in the wolf's eyes before he passed out, and couldn't help but realize how resigned they had looked. Already he knew that Jason had- even by their standards -been forced to grow up far too young. Reaching a cold hand out, he gently began picking at the boy's stark black bangs which hung in his face. They were filthy, covered in dirt and dried blood, yet Dick could still see how the locks tended to curl slightly on the ends. It was a cute trait, he had to admit.

 

“You said he was alone?”

Dick nodded without taking his eyes from him. Why did he feel so drawn to this boy? He suspected it was because he understood the horrible pain of being alone and being hunted. Yet, he suspected there may be more to it than just that.

“I couldn't pick up the scent of any other wolves near by.” Bruce started. “ By the looks of it, he's been alone for a while. Lost. Or most likely orphaned.”

When Dick spared a glance back up to Bruce he was shocked by the look of pity reflected in his eyes. He was once again reminded about Bruce's past and how both of them could easily empathize with the kid in this field.

Bruce was silent for a long time after that, reverting back into the position that Dick had found him in, yet, instead of staring into the flames, he gaze settled on the young wolf. Dick began to wonder just what could possibly be going on behind those calculating blue eyes of his.

They remained like this for what could have been several minutes, or several hours, before Bruce suddenly lifted to his feet. Pulling a familiar black cloak over his shoulders and a scarf around the lower half of his face, Bruce began marching towards the dark recesses of the trees beyond them.

“I'm going hunting.” he stated firmly. “I'll be back soon. Stay with him.”

And with those few words, Bruce was gone. Disappearing as if he had only been a shadow to begin with.

Dick rolled his eyes at the obviousness of the order. Of course he wasn't going to be leaving Jason anytime soon.

He rolled his shoulders back and released a heavy sigh. It was still some time before sunrise, yet exhaustion was already beginning to hit him like a sack of potatoes. It'd been a while since he had felt so much raw adrenaline and anxiety. Nor had his his belly been so full of human blood in a long time, which tried to lull him into a comfortable sleep.

He brought up a hand to rub his tired face, only to withdraw it quickly. He stared horrifically at the appendage as if it had suddenly offended him. He didn't know how he could have forgotten how his hands (and clothing for that matter) were still covered in blood. A mixture of both human and wolf. Slowly, he brought the hand back to his nose, carefully sniffing the crimson substance before drawing it away again, reeling in revulsion. It was his noticing of that strange scent earlier that night combined with his peaked curiosity that led to the saving of that poor, small black wolf from a merciless beating. However, it wasn't until now, once everything had calmed down, that he realized just how utterly repugnant the scent was.

Wrinkling his nose, he crawled over to their water source, eagerly scrubbing away the blood from his hands and then his shirt. He had always wondered why, despite hating each other, vampires never drank wolf blood. It was never explained to him, but always just seemed out of the question. Now, however, he had a pretty clear idea why that was.

He cast his gaze back to the small, bundle, huddled next to the fire. His lips twisted, turning his disgusted grimace into a sort of nervous smirk.

“What do you say we make an agreement to keep that blood of yours _inside_ of you. Deal?”

 

 

 

o00o00o00o

 

The first thing Jason realized was the faint chill crawling along his bare skin. Instinctively he curled into himself further, wishing to bury deeper into his soft fur...his fur! Where was his fur?! And then the pain hit, dulling his sudden panic. It was like being hit by a bucket of ice water. Ice water that was so cold that it actually started burning. The pain flared throughout his his body, ripping a groan from his scratchy throat.

Slowly his senses began to return back to him. The crackling and pops of a fire being the only other thing he could hear besides his harsh breathing and the rustling of fabric when he moved. The rough fabric was wrapped tightly around him, scratching and irritating his unusually bare skin. The stench of his blood still sat heavily in his nostrils, however it was starting to become stale. Just beneath the waves of iron, he could just barely catch the scent of something else..something distinct; familiar, yet foreign...

Everything returned at once. Jason shot up from his cocoon, eyes wide and chest heaving. If fear really possessed a scent, it'd be all over him. An older boy sat some 6 feet from him. His pale skin was easily tinted by the orange of the flames, starkly contrasting with his bright blue eyes. Like Jason, he had thick black hair, but with dark bangs covering most of his forehead. If he didn't know better, Jason could have believed that this was just a regular, innocent, human boy. But oh did he know better!

Jason's breath quickened and his heart jumped when a large grin formed on the boy's face. It was barely perceptible within that single smile, but of course Jason still noticed the boy's two white fangs.

“Great! You're awake! You hungry?” the boy exclaimed excitedly.

 

Jason would have swore if his voice had been working. 'Hungry?' Oh God. He's dinner. The filthy blood sucker was going to suck him dry! He waited for him to wake up so he could have the satisfaction of Jason's screams!

Jason made a move to bolt.

“No! Nononono. Don't transform. You'll tear open your wounds for sure. Neither of us want that now!”

Jason straightened his head, giving the vampire an incredulous look but remaining incredibly tense.

“Give me one reason I shouldn't rip your throat out this very instant.” the growl rolled from his throat without second thought. He doubted he could deliver on his threat with how heavy and weak his body felt, but nowadays, threats were a common greeting to the little street-rat.

Of course, the vampire only laughed, raising a disapproving finger at him.

“First of all, I'd like to see you try. And secondly, is that any way to treat someone who saved your life?”

“It is when that someone is of _your_ kind.” Jason bristled, curling closer in on himself and in his make-shift blanket. “Besides, I'm sure I can take just one shrimpy vampire.”

And just like that, Jason could sense another figure standing directly behind him. He near almost jumped out of his skin, irking his wounds and curling forward in pain. Carefully, as if looking up too fast would kill him, he turned his head as much as he was able to face the looming figure. His nose immediately picking up his scent and confirming it to be another of those blood-drinking cretins. This one though...

 

Oh God. He's a goner. There will be nothing left of him.

 

The man was HUGE! He seemed nearly as tall as a tree, and probably just as wide. He was wrapped in a black cloak but his prominent muscles were still clearly perceptible. Jason's eyes barely glanced at the man's strong and powerful fists at his side, his knuckles riddled in scars and calluses. His icy blue eyes stared down at him from within the darkness of his hood, probably probing his soul if Jason had to guess.

Jason would kill anyone that ever called him an animal (and had), but he still had animal instinct. And that instinct was telling him that no being on earth should ever EVER mess with this guy.

And here is was just a few steps away from this beast, severely wounded and in his human form. Could his situation get any worse?

 

“At least make it fast.” he muttered, teal eyes stuck on the man.

He raised a dark eyebrow, while the younger vampire laughed.

“Ha ha! He's not going to kill you, kid! We're not going to kill you....err, right Bruce?”

Rather than answering, he started stepping around the kid, shoving off his hood and scarf to uncover his frown. His hair was just as black as Dick's, kept short and clean from his face. He almost had the appearance of a socialite. All he needed was a suit. Jason had no idea that Vampires could appear so posh.

“Dick, cut it out.” he barked, crouching down to better stoke the fire. His gaze shot back up to meet Jason's, the tips of his mouth curling in what Jason questioned was the attempt of a smile..?

“Neither of us are going to hurt you.” He confirmed, turning towards his catch (which Jason just now noticed being dragged behind the man. Dang, he was losing his touch). It was a plump doe, body still warm from blood that had only just stopped circulating. Jason's mouth immediately began to salivate.

“Are you hungry?” the young vampire repeated, his smile growing wider. Jason's gaze shot between the meat and the boy. He still didn't trust these guys, not by a long shot, but...he _was_ injured. And they didn't seem to be bluffing about dinner.

Before Jason could answer the boy's inquisition, his stomach answered for him. And quite loudly, as a matter of fact. A human could hear it, let alone two vampires.

He sighed, shooting the young one a look.

“Yeah, okay. I'm famished. But just to warn you, I'm going to be eating that whole thing. You'll need to get something else. Something that _isn't_ me!”

“It's all good. I already ate anyways.” the boy pointed out, smiling knowingly.

The memory of the boy suddenly flashed through Jason's mind; the pattering of the rain, lithe footsteps through puddles of mud and blood, a mouth smeared with the blood of his would-be-murderers. Jason squared his shoulders at the thought, feeling strangely guilty for his distrust towards his savior. But he still couldn't quite relax around the two. For obvious reasons. He didn't trust anyone anymore, let alone vampires.

The big one, having ripped the doe into pieces with his bare hands, started placing skewered pieces above the fire to cook.

“What are you doing?!” Jason objected, starting to move towards the meat. “There's no need to cook it. Let me just-” And Jason recoiled in a surge of more pain. His spike of adrenaline was finally wearing off, returning to him that sweet reminder of just how deep of a mess he had gotten himself into.

“No.” The man responded sternly. “No transforming. You'll hurt yourself further. Plus we'll need you to be able to speak to us. So eat it in this form.”

Jason growled angrily. “Well, you still don't have to cook it. Really. It's not like uncooked meat will make me sick like I'm some human.”

“No. This will be easier for your teeth and stomach to handle. Just be patient.”

Jason's stomach growled again. He hoped that would have been enough of a retort to get his food faster, but the vampire pretended not to notice. He continued to cook the food, while the younger one smiled nervously, his gaze shooting between the two of them.

 

Finally, Jason just huffed, pulling the coat closer over his body to cover his trembling. He desperately wished he could get out of this cursed form. He felt so weak and vulnerable. He wanted to hide away behind his warm, sturdy pelt and menacing fangs. He wanted to look...less human. But the last thing he wanted was the invoke the wrath of Mr.Beef-cakes Vampire Lord over there. (He wouldn't admit to the vampires being right and that the transformation would reopen his wounds and hurt like a mother! Besides, he couldn't figure out what possible motive the blood-suckers would have for that. Better to not think about it.)

“Augh, guys, this silence is killing me!” the young vampire suddenly exclaimed, raising his arms in the air to dramatically proclaim just how frustrated he was. “Your name is Jason, right? I don't know if you'll remember, but my name is Dick. Richard of the Grayson family actually, but just call me Dick.”

Jason was curious how the vampire knew his name, not remembering giving it, but was surprisingly okay with it. How long had it been since someone called him by his name?

“Mr. Moody here is Bruce. He's usually a tad more talkative. Well, kind of. But he tends to fall into these super focused zones, you know, like when you just have so much on your mind you can't pay attention to anything else.”

Jason wouldn't know what that was like.

The man- Bruce- shot Dick a disapproving look. Jason wasn't sure if it was because of Dick's description of him, or because he told him their names. It didn't take a genius to know that the large vampire didn't quite trust him. Well, that makes two of them at least. Jason didn't know what the heck was with this Dick guy.

 

“What? He's not going to trust us, Bruce, if we don't tell him more about ourselves!”

“That's not the point, Dick.”

“Then what is it?”

 

“Grayson?”

The useless debate was suddenly cut off by the young wolf's comment, drawing both vampires' gazes.

“You two...” he started, waving a finger between the both of them. “...you're not family? You look like it but...”

Dick's expression suddenly fell, gaze dropping. Bruce's frown deepened and he continued to attend to the cooking meat.

Dick's mouth opened and closed like a beached fish. He didn't seem to know how to answer, which was just odd to Jason. Either you were or you weren't! Simple as that. Jeez, he didn't know he'd be suddenly getting personal with his seemingly plain question.

“Well, not really. Bruce and I are from two different clans. The last of our clans, actually.” Dick paused to rub a hand over the nape of his neck. There was a strained expression on his face, obviously worrying over just how much he should share.

“Bruce, he...he took me in after my family was killed. That was when I was 9, so just over 6 years ago.”

Dick may have said more, but Jason didn't hear it, not when his full attention suddenly shot to the sizzling dear leg being handed towards him. Hungrily, he snatched the meat away from Bruce and sunk his teeth into it. It was a bit strange not having the assistance of his enhanced canines to rip the meat off the bone. He hadn't eaten like this for a long time, and was surprised with how entirely different it was. After nearly choking, he realized just how much he needed to chew the meat in this form. It sucked at first, but then he realized just how much more he was able to taste when he couldn't just swallow large bits of meat. He wouldn't admit how divine it was.

It didn't take long for Dick's smile to return at the sight of Jason gorging himself on the venison. Blood, grease and saliva soon covered his face. He may not be in wolf form, but it may have looked like it to them by the manner he was eating. Even Bruce couldn't hide a slightly amused smile from creeping on his face. However, his eyes soon shone with pity at realization of just how starved the boy was.

Jason made quick to devour the first leg, making sure to pick the bone clean before tossing the scraps away with eyes shooting back up to Bruce pleadingly.

“More?”

Bruce started to hand Jason another steaming leg only to pull it back just as Jason snatched at it. He gave the boy a chiding look.

“You need to slow down, otherwise you'll choke. Alright? I also still have questions that I need you to answer. Will you do that if I give this to you?”

Jason's brows creased, hating Bruce's condescending tone, but he still nodded slowly. His hands remained frozen in the air, ready to claim his meal.

Bruce relented and released the meat. Jason kept his promise, eating much slower than previously, though still ate as if the meat would disappear if he took too long.

Bruce watched Jason silently as he ate, eyes scanning over him intently with a deep frown which seemed to be set in stone. Jason pretended to not notice the man and stayed intent with his meal. Finally, Bruce spoke up. “Where is your pack? Your parents?”

Jason hesitated in taking a bite for a second, frowning bitterly.

“Same place as his parents” he muttered, nodding his head towards Dick.

Bruce seemed displeased with Jason's answer, though he was unable to interpret exactly why he was.

“How long have you been alone?”

“A while.” he huffed before filling his mouth with more meat so he didn't have to elaborate.

“How old are you?”

“Old enough to take care of myself.”

“Answer the question.”

“Ugh. Fine. I'm 10. Happy?”

“Very. Now, tell me what happened between you and those humans who hurt you.”

Jason suddenly threw down his meal, shooting Bruce a killer glare (which would have been much more effective as a wolf) and snarled.

“Why does it matter?! Why does any of this matter?! Is this some sort of crazy ritual you blood-suckers have before eating someone?! Patch me up so I don't spoil too much blood, then try to fill me up so I'll be at least a little tender? Why are you even doing this?!”

“To help you.” Dick answered without hesitation, as if the answer was that simple.

“Right.” Jason snorted sarcastically. “Cause it makes perfect sense.”

“Just answer the question, Jason.” Bruce demanded. His voice level but his eyes glinting threateningly. It was clear he didn't have much patience with the wolf boy at the moment.

Jason returned Bruce's glare. He wasn't sure how long the two glared at each other, but it didn't seem too long before Jason's instincts kicked in and he glanced away, his throat tightening fearfully. He doubted that the vampire could have pushed him around like this if he was at his full strength.

“What happened with the humans?” Bruce repeated, voice still stern but just a hint gentler. “It's very important that you give me as much detail as possible.”

“I- I don't know. It was...normal. I mean, as normal as a human beating can get. I was hungry and I got careless. I didn't kill the goat fast enough, and it alerted its owners. They beat me and chased me farther into town. I didn't know where I was going, I just ran. And after that...I guess that's when he found me.”

Dick stared intently at Jason, who now started to withdraw further into himself. The memory scared Jason. He'd never admit it, but he had been terrified. The beating. Those terrible, mirthful faces. Jeering, screeching and laughing at his pain. The threats. Oh, how they mocked him as they described exactly what they were going to do to him. And Jason had no choice but to believe it all. Why wouldn't he? He had been so sure that that has been the end. The hellish ending to his hell-of-a-life. He could only hope that hell wasn't what followed the death of his kind.

“Jason. Jason, snap out of it. You're okay. Jason! Hey!”

Jason's head snapped up to Bruce, who had placed his giant hand over his bony shoulder. The lad only then realized that he had begun trembling again and a fresh, sticky sweat had begun to coat his face. His wounds stung terribly and seemed to pulse with pain with every beat of his racing heart.

As he stared into Bruce's oddly sympathetic eyes, and registering the comforting pressure on his arm, Jason thought for a moment that he had gone back in time. He nearly imagined staring at his father-.....no, no. Not his father. He was worthless. He never looked at him like this; had never touched him like this. But...there had been other members of his pack, who, while they never acted as his father, they had seemed to care for him. Or at least didn't seem to mind his presence. If it had been any of those faces- any of those hands comforting him- Jason might have just burst into tears that very minute.

But he didn't. He held it in. Like he'd always done.

“They-they wanted to skin me.” he muttered quietly, barely above a whisper. “They wanted to sell it. Or hang it. Wear my fur as a simple fashion accessory. L-like one of those blue bloods in the cities wear. Like I was a common beast...”

Jason shrunk into the bundle of fabric, hiding his face away from both the vampires and the memories. He was unable to speak any more on the matter.

But Bruce persevered, grabbing Jason by both shoulders and trying to rattle him back into reality.

“Not yet. You need to stay with us. Do you remember how many humans there were?”

Jason shook his head. The number of faces- of voices- kept multiplying in his head.

“Did anyone else see you? Anyone besides those men?”

Jason had no idea. Again he just shook his head, jerking his shoulders from Bruce's grip. Jason carefully lay back down besides the fire, curling his body into itself as much as he could with his injuries.

Neither of the vampires spoke to him again. He could feel their gazes on him, most likely angered or bewildered....maybe even pitying. But he didn't care much anymore.

Staring into the fire, Jason cleared his mind. The dancing, orange flames warmed his cheeks and comforted his fears. With the warmth of the fire, and the tightness of his stomach, his body became heavy. Eye lids drooped and his tense body relaxed.

 

Soon Jason was fast asleep, with a full stomach for the first time in a long time.

 

o00o00o00o

Bruce watched the boy intently as he drifted further and further into sleep. He listened carefully to the sound of his beating heart and steady breath. Bruce was positive that the young wolf was now completely asleep. Dick must have been listening for the same thing as well, because he used that moment to address Bruce.

“So, what's the plan?”

Bruce remained silent. He'd been running every possibility and every contingency in his head since the wounded boy had first arrived. To add to the situation, the boy had been unable to answer his questions thoroughly. Who knew what kind of danger this boy posed to them at the moment.

Bruce leaned forward, interlocking his fingers over his mouth.

“I'm still working on it.” he answered, not taking his eyes off of the slumbering orphan.

Dick frowned, casting his eyes once again between the two. It was apparent by his puzzled expression to Bruce that the lad had expected things to be much simpler than this.

_That's why you need to think things through completely, Dick. Do you think I continue to tell you this for the mere fun of it?_

 

Before Dick could say anything, Bruce turned towards his ward, eyes probing the boy to fill in his unanswered questions.

“I think now is the time that listen to your side of the story.”

Dick stiffened suddenly. He tried to hide his sudden nervousness behind a smile, but it honestly just made it worse. Bruce made a note to work on that with the boy. He still wore his emotions too clearly.

“Care to tell me what the heck you were doing tonight?” Bruce prodded, eyes flashing sternly.

“Getting some air. And a bit of a snack.” Dick shrugged.

“Uh huh. Care to elaborate? You're still missing the part where you decided to pick up a wounded werewolf and bring it back to camp.”

Dick sighed, rubbing his neck tiredly.

“Well, what I said was true. Honest. I was just going for a run along the valley, practicing some flips and...you know. The usual. I remained alert in case anything came near. It was completely safe. I was completely safe. I swear!”

Bruce continued to stare, not at all pleased by the boy's excuses.

Dick had gotten quite accustomed to Bruce's glares over the years, and it was only a matter of time before they failed to have an affect on the boy, but that day had not arrived yet.

“Ok ok. I got a little close to a small settlement some 20 miles from here. But not close enough to be noticed by anyone. I just wanted a taste of some of the goats grazing on the outskirts.”

Bruce's glare intensified, but Dick continued unaffected.

“But when I got closer, I was hit by this huge wave of blood! Mostly goat blood, I noticed. But then I noticed another weird scent mixed with it.”

He nodded towards the sleeping child by the fire. That was enough to both understand what that scent was.

“I followed the trail into the town and saw a bunch of humans beating on him. There were six in all. He was already so badly wounded, but he just kept fighting until the end. They almost killed him, Bruce. And the look in his eyes....he was so scared. I didn't even know he was that young until he morphed into his human form, but it just made me worry for him even more. It all..He reminded me of myself.”

“That was incredibly foolish of you.” Bruce broke in, startling Dick.

“What? But I-”

“You ran foolishly into a human settlement out of simple curiosity. Then you risked yourself by actually attacking some humans. You're lucky you weren't injured. You're lucky there wasn't a hunter involved.”

“Bruce, I saved him!”

“And once the deaths of those men are discovered, there is bound to be an uproar and perhaps even a search. It'll undoubtedly catch the attention of a Hunter. If one isn't in the area , there certainly will be soon. You were careless and sloppy. What if there were any witnesses? You have no idea if more people than the men you killed knew about the wolf.”

“Are you saying that I should have just let him die?”

“...No.” Bruce may have hesitated a tad too long before answering.

Dick seemed to have noticed his mistake. His face fell, becoming a mixture of disappointment and anger. His expression actually alarmed Bruce, though he kept his expression of stone.

“Why?” his voice was just above a whisper. “Why don't you trust him, Bruce? Isn't he just like us? He's been hurt by the same people. Is he not one of those we fight to protect? Or just vampires then?”

Bruce's chest suddenly tightened, as if Dick's words had physically struck him. He was overcome by an intense feeling of guilt that made it impossible to meet the boy's inquiring eyes. But he felt irritated by it all the same. Dick didn't fully understand what he was talking about. He knew nothing of this matter!

“You're still young Dick. You weren't alive to see the wars between our kinds. To see the bloodshed and destruction that they caused.”

Dick's gaze bore into Bruce's for several moments.

“And neither was Jason.”

Bruce stood up suddenly, nearly startling Dick. His brows narrowed and thick jaw tightly pressed. Piercing blue eyes broke through the darkness and narrowed on his young ward. But he was unable to say anything further on the matter. Instead, just as fast as he had stood to face Dick, he turned his back on him, stomping angrily towards the forest, throwing his black cloak over his shoulders.

“It'll soon be dawn. I'm going to investigate and assess the damage your little escapade caused. Watch him. He's your responsibility right now.”

“But Bruce, I can-!”

“No. Even if he didn't need you, you're grounded from work until further notice.”

And with those words, Bruce once again disappeared into the shade of the forest.

 

 

o00o00o00o

 

“Get up.”

Jason shot up from his deep sleep, heart racing and head buzzing, still too drowsy to comprehend where he was and what had happened. But the pain shooting through his body was quick to remind him. He bent forward clenching his teeth painfully, hardly noticing the brown satchel that Bruce suddenly tossed at him with the command to get dressed.

He glanced back at the giant man, watching as he marched towards a sleeping Dick and nudging him in the ribs with his foot.

“Dick, wake up now.”

“Mmmmn. Bruce? It's only morning.” he moaned, using the bunched up jacket that he was previously using as a pillow to cover his sensitive eyes from the sun.

“Dick.” Bruce repeated in a commanding tone. “You need to get up now.”

A chill ran through Jason at the man's tone, relieved that it wasn't directed at him. Dick seemed unaffected, but obeyed. He simply blinked off the comment, possibly even shooting Bruce a quick glare himself before he sluggishly rising to his feet. Jason turned to his satchel before Bruce could turn back to him. He frowned at the sight of the clothes inside.

“I don't need these.”

“Yes you do. If you can dress yourself, then do it. If not, Dick will help.”

Jason shot a look back up to Bruce. His instincts urged him not to argue with the man, especially with the cold way he was staring at him, but Jason had always been prone to bite off more than he could chew.

“I'm not going to dress up like some petty human.”

“You're still in no condition to transform, nor am I going to allow a wolf to just waltz around in broad daylight. You are putting those on and we are leaving. Now.”

Jason growled, picking up the shirt carefully with two pinched fingers as if the fabric was some sort of rank piece of garbage.

“I've never really worn these before.” he commented, more to himself than to his acquaintances.

“You're gonna have to get used to it.” Dick laughed. “A giant wolf isn't very incognito, but neither is a nude 10 year old. Plus, I don't want to be looking at your bear rear all the time.”

Jason shot Dick a dirty look before pulling the shirt over his head. He wasn't completely sure how well it should fit, but he was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to be swimming in it like he was. At least it came on easily without causing pain. When it came to the trousers though..., Jason swallowed nervously. He doubted he could get those on without irking some of his injuries. If he was correct about his assumption of one of his legs being broken, he would be having a difficult time indeed.

Jason tried to slid his bruised and wrapped legs between the fabric, already feeling the strain the movement had on his abdomen as he leaned forward, and on his legs upon moving them. Dick was suddenly next to him, attempting to help him finish the embarrassingly difficult task, but Jason pushed him away. He was determined to do it on his own.

Somehow, he was able to accomplish the task. Though he doubted that his small hips would even be able to properly support the clothing once he was up. His face heated up when Bruce had to help tie them on. It wasn't until this moment that he felt incredibly ashamed of how thin his body was. He was nothing but skin and bones. Most corpses had more meat on their bones.

 

“So what's the deal, Bruce?” Dick inquired, tossing his pack over his shoulder and using his foot to smother the ashes of the dying camp fire.

“Hunters are on the way. I don't know how many, but multiple.” Bruce announced, grabbing a few weapons from his pouch to stash on his person.

“You two caused quite the ruckus with those men you killed last night. A few witnesses caught glimpse of you too. Not well enough to recognize your faces, but good enough a description for the hunters. It's unknown how long they will take, or if the hunters will even be competent enough to catch on to us, but nonetheless, we need to be far away from here before that happens.”

Jason snorted at the idea. He didn't know that vampires were such cowards.

Dick furrowed his eyes, puzzled. “We're not going to stay and investigate? This is a perfect opportunity to take down another hunter. Besides, Jason is in no condition to move.”

Jason wanted to snarl at the kid, but he had to be honest with himself: his body didn't want to move either. However, the thought of actual hunters on their way sent Jason's thoughts into a frenzy. He could run on a broken leg if he had to. The adrenaline would see to that. Besides, it's not like this would be a first for him.

“Not this time, Dick. I won't risk it. Not with Jason with us. You need to take him and find a safe place to wait. I'll rendezvous with you later once I've assessed the threat.”

Dick looked like he wanted to argue, but knew that his mentor was right.

Jason opened his mouth to protest or something, but he wasn't quite sure what to say. Too many thoughts were running through him all at once. His racing mind distracted him enough that he didn't even realize that Dick was next to him until he was suddenly hoisted from the ground. He gave a startled and pained cry at the movement, earning him a quiet apology from the teen.

“I'll give you 10 hours, Bruce. If you don't meet us up by then, I'm coming for you.” Dick called out once Jason was uncomfortably settled onto his arms.

Again, Jason made to protest at this awkward predicament, but his shouts were quieted when Dick suddenly took off at jarring speeds. Jason growled and turned his head into Dick's chest, protecting his face from the backlash of the wind. The boy was running as fast, maybe even faster than he could manage as a wolf, but being a passenger to such speeds was definitely not something that Jason would want to experience again. Especially since Dick didn't seem to understand the proper etiquette in passenger transportation (there's gotta be a book on it somewhere) and kept running through condensed clusters of trees and bushes. He was pretty sure he had a few new scratches from the leaves and twigs to add to his list of injuries. The unnecessary flips that Dick started to preform further into the run off of logs and boulders didn't seem to help either.

 

As soon as Dick's pace slowed, Jason was quick to take action, beginning to flail in the teen's arms and demand to be put down. When Dick refused, sternly admonishing him for his protests that he could walk on his own, Jason at least tried to convince him to alter his position. Soon Jason was riding on Dick's back, the vampire carefully holding his legs for leverage. The position was still far from dignified, but it was the best Jason could get for himself for the time being. He'd have to be content with that.

With Dick slowing to a brisk walk, Jason rested his cheek against the teen's body, letting his body relax as he became drowsy again. He cursed the condition of his body, which was constantly putting the boy in these weak and vulnerable situations.

He was suddenly jolted awake again when Dick faltered a step, turning his head away from the bright light of the morning sun and tutting irritably.

Anxious for something to mock the boy for, Jason snickered.

“What's wrong? Light burning that delicate, girly skin of yours? Or are you going to turn into dust any second now? Cause if you do, please put me down first.”

Rather than Jason's intended result, his comments only caused an entertained smile to climb onto the young vampire's face.

“Ha! Is that what they say about us? It's always funny to hear what kind of rumors float around. No, no. The sun just hurts the eyes. We're nocturnal, you know. Our eyes work much better in the dark. But I'm used to it. Bruce and I travel in daylight all the time.”

Jason frowned. “Why would you do that? That doesn't make any sense. Won't someone see you- see us- if we travel in the daylight?”

“Bruce calls it the 'art of hiding in place sight'.” Dick answered. “Humans expect us to remain hidden in the shadows; to remain in our comfort zones. So none would ever suspect us to be traveling like humans. Even our luggage is part of that ruse. More than half of the stuff we carry and wear are just to hold up appearances. Like our coats, or the campfire we had last night. Humans need a lot more than us to survive in the wild. We still stay hidden and out of the way from people, but in the open just enough to remain covert.”

“Tch, sounds cowardly to me. A wolf would never hide who we were just for safety's sake. We'd rather die then try to fit in with those humans.”

Dick simply shrugged at the comment, snorting bemusedly. Jason sensed that the teen had more to say on the subject, but shut his mouth. seemingly not wanting to cause a fight.

 

The teen was starting to lose his grip on Jason, and jerked him back up and securing his grasp. The movement jarred Jason's injured leg. He quickly bit down on his tongue to stifle the groan crawling up his throat. Dick faltered in his steps, perhaps noticing Jason's body tensing in agony. The younger quickly began talking to dispel the useless concern.

“What- what is it that you two do exactly? Don't tell me you two are really just jolly campers, traveling the world to bird watch, suck blood and kidnap children.”

His comment made Dick laugh. No surprise there. And while the young vampire's happy-go-lucky attitude kinda grated on Jason's nerves, it was kinda nice to be able to make someone smile so easily. He'd never been able to do that before, especially with his snarky attitude.

 

“Bruce, he- we hunt. Hunters, that is. We fight to protect others from the pain and sorrows that we've felt. That's why...” Dick paused momentarily, seeming to be suddenly nervous (or embarrassed. Jason couldn't see his face) to continue.

“What?” Jason prodded, curious.

His small push was all that the chatter-box needed to continue. “That's why I saved you, after all. We may be different species, but we are both in same situation.”

Jason's expression darkened.

“Well _he_ doesn't seem to think so.” Jason grumbled bitterly, actually shocking himself with just how his chest contracted painfully at the thought. He refused to acknowledge being upset at the dejection of a vampire. _Especially_ one like Bruce!

“Don't worry about him. Despite his inability to properly express emotion and his rock hard stubbornness, Bruce is a pretty sensitive and compassionate guy underneath. I can already tell he's warming up to you.”

Jason didn't believe Dick in the slightest.

“Right. I may be younger than you but even I can tell that he just sees me as a hindrance. He'd rather I had just been killed by those humans and save you both a lot of time and trouble. Even _you_ must be annoyed with me by now. Bruce is out there, probably kicking ass right now while you're stuck baby sitting me.”

“That's not-”

“I dare you to look me in the eyes right now and swear to me that that man doesn't see me as a burden to throw away at the soonest possible time.”

Dick was rendered speechless. He paused in his steps, as if fishing for some type or response, but eventually gave up. Soon they were moving again, this time in a tense silence.

 _Well, that's one way to get Dick to shut up._ He thought to himself bitterly, trying to laugh the heaviness away..

But his heart hurt somehow, and despite his previous experience, he still found it hard to get over it quickly. Sighing, he rested his chin dejectedly against his chest.

Silence was their companion for several minutes. Hearing nothing but the rattling of trees, chirping of birds, and the burdened steps of Jason's certified pack mule.

Then a hushed whisper, seeming suddenly loud in the quiet that surrounded them. “Bruce was the one who patched up your wounds, you know. If he didn't care, he wouldn't have bothered. Trust me. You don't know Bruce like I do.”

Jason still couldn't believe Dick's words, but....but for some reason he really wanted to.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of character and plot building in this chapter. The action begins in the next.


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

It wasn't hard for Bruce to recognize the man. Long, greasy dark hair with a ratty beard, long left untrimmed. Broad shoulders, both a sign of regular training and the existence of armor beneath his traveling cloak. Daggers strapped to his side, with more likely hidden underneath clothing. He traveled atop of a horse, whose fur was already matted with dried sweat, while its legs were caked in mud from its travels. It didn't take a detective to recognize the man as a hunter. And that's not taking into account the silver cross around his neck and extra canteen, which Bruce could surmise was probably holy water. Hunters may be advancing on their methods of vampire genocide, but many still found it difficult to let go of the old ways. What' d they think he was, a demon?

There was a dog with him as well. Bruce had noticed the growing trend of training of dogs to hunt more than just foxes and geese. It was smart- he had to admit- utilizing the dog's advanced senses to make up for the human's lack thereof.

Bruce kept his gaze on said creature, weighing different plans together and calculating the chances of success or failure. For obtaining the largest amount of information possible, Bruce would also risk detection. However... this man hardly seemed like a threat to someone like him. But minimizing the bloodshed was a high priority.

Hoisting his bags over his shoulder and mussing his hair, Bruce left the shade of the trees and began walking down the small incline in the direction of the hunter. He kept to himself for a moment before giving a visible reaction to noticing the man. His eyes widened considerably in surprise and a relieved smile climbed onto his face.

“Excuse me!” he called out, waving his arm out to catch the man's attention, who stopped the horse's steady trot suddenly. His dark gaze shot towards Bruce, eyes slightly narrowed with an air of suspicion. His hand had gone to his hip, definitely fingering a weapon beneath his cloak if necessary. The dog at the steed's feet backed away a few steps, a deep growl starting to leave its throat.

Bruce pretended to be oblivious.

“Thank goodness, I found someone! And by the looks of it, you're a fellow trapper too? Listen, I'm new to this area, would you happen to know where the best places to trap beaver are?”

The man frowned, though Bruce's keen eye noticed him relax ever so slightly. He gained a nervous smile.

“Are you kidding? How should I know? Do I really look like a trapper?”

Bruce frowned, blinking confusedly.

The hunter sighed, dropping his shoulders. “Look man, I don't know. But you shouldn't be here right now. There have been vampire sightings here, you know.”

Bruce blanched, body tensing. “What?! Here?! Oh, just my luck! For how long have they been here?”

“Victims were found last night in the town 5 miles over. We have reason to believe they are hiding in this forest.”

Bruce's eyes widened in shock. He placed a hand over his heart, exhaling loudly.

“My word! Here? I could have died! Thank God you are here then. I assume you are a hunter then? My apologies for getting you confused as a silly trapper.”

Humans loved flattery.

The man nodded at Bruce before turning his gaze to the hound, which was still growling but nearly cowering behind the horse's hind legs. Bruce frowned dejectedly at the dog.

“Odd. Dogs usually love me.”

The hunter's eyes jumped from dog to Bruce, appearing suddenly a bit wary.

“He's beautiful though. I'd love to have a hound like that. Imagine how much more game I'd be able to catch.”

“You'd need to save up first.” The hunter replied, his voice suddenly carrying a proud lilt to it. “They're the best breeds for hunting these days. They possess an extraordinary sense of smell and perfect for tracking. They cost a fair amount just to obtain, and then there's training them. Kinda difficult in this line of work. Very hazardous. But certainly worth it. But by the looks of it, this one may need a little more experience.”

Bruce looked impressed. “Don't tell me that you actually use these for more than just hunting fox! Do you really use them against monsters?”

“How else do you find a beast? You track their scent. We already have a few dogs out right now on the trail of these vampires.”

Bruce frowned, masking the alarm that shot through him.

“You have partners already out there? What about you?”

“Patrolling the perimeter. I'm still a bit of a novice at this, and with there being two vampires, someone has to make sure one doesn't escape.”

“And how do you do that all by yourself?”

“Traps. I have a few set out here and there.”

Bruce nodded, pulling an understanding frown.

“Wow. This must be tough work. But I must say, I'm rather intrigued. This is my first time meeting a real vampire hunter, I must admit. It's an honor.”

The dog was crinkling his nose curiously, but remained distant, raising its jowls threateningly. Smart creature. Though he was unfortunate to have such an oblivious owner. Truly a novice mistake.

Bruce smiled widely and raised his hand to the man on horseback. “Pleasure to meet you, by the way. The name's Thomas.”

Humans tended to feel safer when they believed they weren't with a complete stranger. They found too much comfort in names and fake smiles.

The hunter hesitated for a moment before adopting a small smile of his own took the proffered hand. **“** Jack **.** ”

“I imagine that being a hunter would be difficult, Jack. Especially for such a young man as yourself. Do you have a family to go home to?”

Bruce's eyes watched Jack's face carefully, but remained smiling to keep the man comfortable.

“Yeah, I do. My wife isn't too thrilled about this work. I'm gone a lot. And I miss seeing my boy. But, whether I'm there or not, they still need to eat.” The man's expression became somewhat solemn, though he still carried a warm smile.

Bruce had heard enough. He got the information he needed, now he needed to hurry and find the boys. He took one last quick scan over this Jack, mind storing away his observations of the man.

This man was no monster. He may not value their lives, but he simply did it as a lively hood. He did it for his family. Bruce could not condemn the man for simply being human.

Unless he posed them any immediate threat, he could live.

“If you'd excuse me,” Jack started, pulling gently on the reins of his horse, “I have a few more traps to set.”

“Ah, yes. I best get back to town until you're done here. Definitely don't want to be involved in any of this madness.”

 

Giving their farewells, Jack turned and continued trotting along the forest edge, his dog following hesitantly. Bruce continued walking in the direction of the town, keeping his eyes on the back of the disappearing hunter. As soon as the man was out of sight, Bruce spun on his heels and shot towards the forest faster than any mortal could comprehend. As he ran, he opened up his mind and expanded his senses, calling out through the forest. It took a few moments but suddenly he was encircled by frenzied blackness. Terrible screeches filled his ears in the madness.

_Find and disable and human traps. Locate Dick and Jason. Go._

And just as fast as it arrived, the darkness broke apart, zooming off in all directions. Bruce disappeared just as quickly.

 

o00o00o00o

 

 

“You must be joking me. You were in the circus?”

Dick couldn't help how wide his grin grew at how skeptical Jason looked. No matter how many times he said it, the boy just couldn't believe it. He wasn't sure if Jason's disbelief should be taken as a compliment or not, but it didn't matter to him.

“A circus brat through and through. I learned all sorts of tricks there. See!” Feeling the need to prove himself (or to show off), Dick placed his hands against the ground and effortlessly lifted his legs up and over his head. And if that wasn't enough, he started to walk towards Jason on nothing but his hands, waving his legs as if some kind of taunt. Jason flinched away from him in alarm. Dick almost burst out laughing until he noticed the boy cringe in pain.

“Ah! Jason! I'm so sorry!” Dick exclaimed, cartwheeling to his feet and next to the boy, hands reaching out as if he could help with the pain in some way. Jason growled and swiped his hand away.

“Keep it to yourself, circus freak! That was just weird!”

Dick couldn't help but chuckle at the wolf-boy's comment. “Nah, you love it! I bet you're just itching to do it too! Listen, as soon as you get better, I'll coach you in the ways of my people. What do you say?”

Dick noticed Jason's frown lift into an amused smirk for just a split second before the boy turned away, muttering something along the lines of “who in their right mind would wanna learn something lame like that? _”_.

Dick took that as a victory. Jason was a hard kid to amuse. Bruce was right, werewolves were stubborn, prideful little things. The kid would do anything to hide any sort of emotion that could be considered 'weak' in front of the vampires. Well, if humor was considered improper and weak in wolf-culture, then Dick was sure as heck happy to be a vampire.

“So were you serious that you've never heard of the Flying Graysons?” Dick asked, trying to reclaim Jason's attention as he spread himself across the ground on his stomach, head resting in his hands while his feet waving energetically in the air. His cheerful voice easily bounced off the walls of the cave that they had found. (He had to make note to watch that. They were there to lay low after all).

“No. Why would I?” Jason asked almost defensively.

“Cause we were kinda a big deal. Everyone knew about us! Humans and vampires alike. I figured word of our greatness would have reached even the wolf people. Alas. But just imagine it!” Dick raised a hand into the air, as if he could project the brilliance of the circus onto the cave wall for Jason to see. The iconic image of the giant, red and white circus tent, the bright lights, exotic animals, and the exciting array or colorful, costumed performers. His mouth ran fast, describing everything for the boy.

“A whole troupe of circus vampires, traveling the country for decades undetected! It was brilliant!” Dick's gaze drifted off, staring off into space as his mind whirred with those bright visions of the past.

“Lions and tigers jumping through flaming hoops, tightrope walkers balancing 50 ft above the audience, dagger throwers effortlessly striking bulls-eyes and apples over people's heads, sword swallowers...well, doing their sword swallowing thing. Oh! And then the trapeze! That was my specialty! You should have seen me up there! What I wouldn't give for one more ride! It's like flying! Nothing can compare to that feeling!”

“What happened to all that then?” Jason's voice suddenly broke Dick from his daydreaming. Just like that, Dick's spark of excitement was smothered and was covered by a dark gloom.

Dick nearly cursed. He should have known better. He couldn't possibly talk about his past- couldn't experience the sweet without facing the sour. His heart clenched painfully at the thought, but Dick did his best to hide the pain behind a blank mask and a nonchalant shrug.

“What do you think? We were eventually found out. Hunters came and...well, now I'm here.”

“Oh.” Jason blanched, looking guilty. “Sorry.”

“It's no big deal. It's all in the past.” Dick smiled in an attempt to cheer up the younger boy, though it felt strained; unable to reach his eyes. It was also clear to him that perceptive, young Jason wasn't falling for the facade and fell silent.

Unable to deal with the sudden tension between the two, Dick was quick to change the subject to the first thing that rolled off his tongue.

“What about the Wayne family? Ever heard of them?”

Jason's eyes suddenly widened. “Of course. My pack used to tell stories about that family. My dad would tell me how they loved to gouge out the eyes of young wolves who disobeyed their alpha. The jerk gave me nightmares for years.”

Dick welcomed the bought of laughter that burst from his gut.

“What else do you know about them?” He managed to choke out once the laughter subsided, flashing a genuine, toothy grin, eager for more.

Jason clenched his jaw as he thought about it; recalling the stories of his youth.

“The Wayne clan...They're a sort of royal clan of vampires. The king of kings because of their great power on the battlefield. Mention of their name was enough to get any pup to obey. Even some of the adults, at least the few who believed the legends, were scared of them.

“They live in luxury but sleep in coffins like the dead. Taking fancy to young virgins and seducing them in the night to drink their blood in crystal wine glasses. And bathe in it too, I think. Oh! And they turn into bats! I was so jumpy around those flying rodents when I was younger because of that stupid story. I also heard that they would turn into stone or dust or something if they were caught in the sunlight. I always thought of that as a neat trick, but then you had to go and ruin that for me, jerk.”

Dick smiled sheepishly but was still laughing at Jason's mislead description. Though, he supposed that Jason's facts weren't all _completely_ false...

“Yeah, well, I guess that Bruce can be a bit of a lady killer when he doesn't have a stick shoved up his butt.” he mused.

Jason cocked his head. “Huh? What does that have to do with anything?”

“Oh, nothing really.” Dick rolled onto his back, watching Jason upside down and grinning knowingly. “It's just that Bruce is-”

Words were cut short and Dick shot to his feet faster than he could blink. Grin was instantly wiped from his face as he stared towards the cave entrance, eyes narrowed suspiciously. Jason also seemed to perk up, head twisting to gaze out in the same direction.

“You hear that?”Dick breathed out, just loud enough for a wolf with advanced hearing could catch. Jason simply nodded, nose faintly twitching as he tried in vain to pick up a definite scent, despite his form.

“Stay here.” Dick ordered, inching silently towards the opening of the cave. “I'll go check it out.”

“No. I can help.”

Dick shook his head as he peeked out from the opening. He squinted into the light, wishing that they at least had the advantage of the darkness at that moment.

“It's probably nothing. An animal or just an innocent passerby.”

“Bull crap.” Jason mumbled as he placed a hand against the wall of the cave in an attempt to stand.

“Stay down!” Dick hissed, shooting the boy his best glare. “You'll just injure yourself over something trivial. I'll handle it.”

“But-!”

“Just trust me, Jason. I'll be back in no time. Just stay low. They can't know that we are here. There is a dagger in my bag if you need it.”

Jason seemed ready to argue, but Dick didn't allow him the opportunity. Instead, he speedily slid from the comforting shadows of the cave. He dived into the nearest cover of trees, climbing to the highest branches that could support his weight and lept from tree to tree in the direction of the invading sound. His light feet didn't make a sound as he landed softly on the branches.

He suddenly paused in the branches of an oak, which was thankfully still thick with leaves. Despite the cover, he crouched down as low as he could to the branch beneath him, listening carefully. He could discern the sound now: the drumming of horse hooves. Two, no, three of them. Even and burdened. They were loaded with more than just riders. There was something else with them as well, though he couldn't quite discern what from behind the clapping hooves.

Carefully, he jumped down a branch and onto a neighboring tree, providing him with a better view. A large horse suddenly trotted into sight, followed by two others, just as Dick predicted. The men on top were burly with long hair and untrimmed beards, draped in thick, leather cloaks, just covering the body armor that Dick knew was beneath. Their saddles were laden with bags of supplies, and bodies strapped with weapons. Crossbows along their backs, knives along their thighs, and one even carried shiny pistol at his side. Dick prayed that the piece didn't come with any silver bullets.

Dick cursed. No doubt about it, these men were hunters. But then where was Bruce? Wouldn't he have taken care of these guys by now?

Dread shot through Dick, freezing his blood and making his head buzz.

But he quickly shook the evil thoughts away, reminding himself with the impossibility that anyone could take out Bruce. They'd have to be one hell of a warrior to do that, and looking at these men, they had yet to see any battle. He must have just missed them. At least he hoped that was simply the case.

Dick shook his head and refocused himself. He couldn't worry about Bruce right now. He had Jason to look after, and three heavily armed hunters nearby. Dick slowly stood on the balls of his feet, ready to make a dash back to the injured boy, intending to move him to a more secure location. But froze seconds later when something else caught his eye.

Dogs. Hound dogs. The hunters had hounds!

Dick nearly swore again. No wonder the humans were on their trail. With dogs tracking their scent it would be useless to keep running. Dick considered the possibility of running until Bruce caught up, but that plan was risky, and he couldn't confirm that Bruce could get to them before the hunters did.

There was only one other thing Dick could do then: stop them here and now.

 

The dogs weaved through the clearing, noses pressed to the ground and sniffing furiously. The hunters followed their trackers earnestly, not uttering a word between each other. Dick gritted his teeth when one of the two dogs suddenly paused, head shooting up in alarm. He knew it had caught his scent. If Dick wanted the advantage of surprise on his side, he'd have to attack now before the mutt alerted his masters.

Just as the dog begins to howl, Dick throws a knife from the confines of the leafy branches. The knife soars like a dart towards its target, catching the man off guard, but he's still able to raise an arm in defense. The hunter recoils at the hit, only to be hit by a soaring kick in the gut, knocking the man and his assailant from the horse and onto the ground. Dick would have sliced the man's throat that very instant, but is forced to leap back suddenly when the other two hunters are already tossing knives in his direction.

“There you are, you little wretch!” One of the men exclaims, smirking.

Dick doesn't have time to sneer back (or even think of a witty nickname for the man) because soon arrows are being shot in his direction. He preforms a series of back flips, just barely dodging the rapid fire from the automatic crossbow. The dogs were in a frenzy by now, snarling viciously and filling the forest with their angry howls.

“Hans! Get off your ass and restrain the dogs!” Crossbow hollered from horseback. “We don't need them getting injured in this! I don't want to be training another!”

Another series of shots, which Dick is able to evade by diving behind a tree.

“Haha! This one's a lithe one! I've never seen anything like it! He should be fun!”

Dick shot from his hiding spot, moving at his accelerated speed and sliding just beneath one of the horses, slicing it across the belly. By the time the beast threw off his rider, Dick was dashing towards the last mounted figure. But this man was quick, pulling out a dagger and stabbing it in Dick's shoulder just as he lept towards him. He then flipping the disoriented teen so he fell over his shoulder and crashed gracelessly into the ground.

Dick just barely managed to get back to his feet when the next flurry of attacks began. He shot backwards and ripped the knife from his shoulder, using it as a projectile. The hunter easily deflected the knife with another.

Not giving up, Dick shot around, dodging through the trees before jumping at one of the grounded men, landing a few swift punches on his torso before swiping his legs out from under him. Then flipping backwards, Dick snatched a stray arrow from the earth tossing it towards another. The hunter just managed to move his head in time, just slicing his cheek.

“He's putting on quite a show!” The man on horseback exclaimed, drawing out his own crossbow before jumping from his horse and smacking it away from the battle. “Don't let your guard down boys! We can't lose this one!”

Dick growled irritably. He could barely manage to attack one before another took a strike at him. If there was at least one less...or heck, if it was nighttime, then these men wouldn't pose much of a threat.

He back flipped out of the way of a few more projectiles, continuing to dodge as he started back towards the trees. These men seemed to excel at long distance attacks. Well, if that's the case, then Dick would just have to bring the fight to them. But before he could do that, he'd need a weapon.

Dick scrambled up a tree, ignoring the hooting and hollering coming from the men surrounding the tree below. He was quick to jump between branches as he climbed to avoid the arrows that they fired from the crossbows so rapidly. Heck, if Dick just avoided them long enough, they were bound to run out before long. Right?

A sudden cry of pain and Dick nearly lost his footing in the tree, but he just managed to catch a sturdy handhold to support himself before he fell. Gasping painfully, he didn't need to look to know that an arrow protruded out of his thigh. Dick growled before pulling himself into a secure space in between the branches. He ripped the offending arrow from his leg and glancing at the tip to make sure it wasn't silver. As he suspected, it wasn't (it would have been more painful). Good. It hurt, but the wound shouldn't hinder him too badly. He'd just have to make this quick.

Dick grunted painfully as he strained his wounds to reach out towards a smaller branch. Using all of his strength, he snapped the wood from its trunk. Quickly eyeing the long stick in his hands, he deemed it long and thick enough. All he needed was a few good hits, and he could be done with these hunters. He'd have to make it quick though. His shoulder and leg wound were still steadily seeping with blood.

The hunters stood beneath the tree, switching between yelling obscenities for him to hear and muttering to each other what to do next.

“You have enough yet?” Dick yelled out, causing the men to pause.

“Whoa, it speaks!”

“We're just getting started, kid! Why don't you stop your silly games and come down to face us.”

“We promise we'll be gentle.”

 

“Funny. I can't promise the same.” Dick answered, and without a moment's hesitation, shot out off his branch, catching the men unawares and nailing one with a foot to the jaw while clubbing another over the head with his impromptu staff. The first stumbled back a few feet, hand cradling his bleeding face while the other fell over onto his back. Dick was quick to pick a target, focusing on the man still on his feet, jamming his staff into his gut and then spinning it up to smack him back in the head.

His companion was back on his feet so Dick quickly dug the wood into the ground, using it as leverage to shoot towards the man and kicking him in the chest.

Dick gasped at the same moment the hunter did, pain shooting up his leg and causing it to cramp up. Unable to recover quickly enough from the pain and shock, Dick fell gracelessly to the ground. Though he managed to roll out of the way of a dangerous-looking kick and jumped to his feet as quickly as he could with his injury.

Dick was facing the two men, standing some 10 feet away from them, balancing on the balls of his feet, weapon ready. The two hunters were back on their feet, standing firmly with hands reaching for their own weapons. Fierce gazes were shot from both parties, locked onto their target(s), waiting for their opponent to make a move. Each was breathing heavily.

Dick's gaze shot between the two, running through a thousand different strategies and moves to use, planning counters and calculating possibilities of further injury or failure. He'd been hurt enough already, any more and it could seriously affect his agility. Failure meant either loss of life or a serious lecture from Bruce. He'd rather avoid both of those options.

Just as Dick was about to jump forward to attack, his racing mind suddenly stopped. It was as if his thoughts had just run into a brick wall. He took in a sharp intake of breath, though it hardly seemed to help smother the sudden panic that rattled through him.

 _Two_ hunters?! But there were three earlier! And the dogs! Oh, God, when had the barking quieted?! When had they disappeared?!

 

_JASON!!!_

Faster than he'd ever moved before, Dick snapped the branch in half over his knee, throwing the two halves at the heads of his targets. He took off in the direction he had left his new friend at rapid speed, not waiting to see if his projectiles made contact with their targets or not. He just needed to get away now! He needed to find Jason! He needed to make sure he was safe! Pure, cold terror is what drove him, filling up his ears with a loud roar and clouding his senses.

He hadn't even noticed when he was struck by another arrow in the back and grazed on his side by another. Dick still just kept running.

It wasn't until something caught around and tripped him by his ankles that he recognized there was a problem.

Within a millisecond, Dick was suddenly shot into the air, crying out in alarm and pain from the metal links biting into his skin. He flailed about wildly, not able to stop himself from his angered and terrified screams as he swung 5 feet above the ground, tangled in a chain-link net.

Wheezy laughing suddenly caught Dick's attention, snapping his wide gaze to stare at the approaching demons from between the links. Tears of pain and frustration dabbed at Dick's eyes as he tried his best to untangle himself and bend the links. But he held the tears at bay. He wouldn't cry in front of these men. He wouldn't give that to them.

 

“Go ahead. Give that a nice tug. I'm sure it'll bend soon.” one of them gloated, smirking broadly. The other pointed his crossbow menacingly towards Dick, even jabbing him a few times with the tip. While there was a spark of victory in his eyes, his face was still drawn back in anger and irritation. Blood was running from his nose, which was now purple and crooked. If Dick wasn't so freaked out, he would have taken satisfaction in his work.

Dick continued to grab at the metal links, digging his fingers between the cracks and pulling with all his might. But it wouldn't budge. Instead, it easily dug into his skin and stung furiously.

Dick withdrew his hands into himself, biting down his tongue to suppress a wail.

“Hurts, doesn't it?” The man mocked. “It's reinforced with silver fibers. Cost us a pretty penny, but from the looks of it, it'll soon pay for itself soon enough.” He smiled a large, yellow grin. Dick snarled in revulsion, hoping that it masked the pain and terror in his eyes.

“At least do me the honor and finish me off quickly.” He hissed, his fiery gaze never leaving his adversaries. “Or do you not have the honor to do even that?!”

Dick almost laughed to himself at how much like Jason he had sounded there.

Almost.

The men instead chose to ignore him, having turned back to each other and discussing what their next step be. Crooked-nose argued on a little torture, insisting that this _'little cur doesn't need two eyes_ ', but according to his companion, Dick was worth more with both.

The vampire wasn't sure whether or not to be comforted by the idea that they wanted him alive. If they weren't killing him for the plain hit, or to tear out his teeth as vampire teeth were becoming a hot commodity, then they planned to sell him to the highest bidder. The possibilities ran rapid through his head, causing his stomach to clench so painfully that he feared he'd throw up. Anything could happen to him. The days of hunters simply aiming to eradicate their kind were morphing into torture and experimentation. He could picture it all now, if he wasn't sliced open and had his organs harvested, then he'd live out the rest of his short life strapped to a cold table, dedicated to the unimaginable and never ending torture as man continued to explore the wonderful and fascinating make-up of the vampire race. He could be used to discover weaknesses, and thus aid in the destruction of his own kind. Or there was also the possibility of being caged and floundered about like some act in a freak show, or used as a slave.

And that was just hitting the surface of what could lay in store for Dick. He refused to allow his thoughts to dig deeper into the matter. All he knew was that he was thoroughly screwed. He'd much rather have to face Bruce's lectures for an eternity....or just be killed right away. Yeah, he'd much prefer that option.

The only consolation that Dick had was believing that at least Jason got away. Though injured, he didn't doubt that the boy could and would transform and run the moment he sensed trouble.

 

Dick was shaken from his thoughts when he caught the rustling of branches and cracking of twigs. Within a few seconds, the third and missing hunter entered the vicinity. His face was twisted into an irritated grimace as blood flowed heavily from a cut near his temple, getting into his eyes. The dogs bounded around him, yipping and snarling in-between taking nips at the small figure being practically dragged before him.

All fear for his own well being evaporated the moment his eyes met with those wounded teal. He shook his head rapidly, wanting to do nothing but scream and curse and beg for the men to let Jason go; to leave him be, but he knew that wouldn't happen. In fact, his begging may just cause the lad additional pain from these sadists.

Jason's angry gaze widened for a moment at seeing Dick hanging vicariously from his net. Inside Dick was screaming and begging the boy for forgiveness for failing him, but he did his best to hide those emotions behind a sheepish smile and a curt wave. He pretended as if this was all just a slight mishap on his part, and that they'd be okay soon.

“Ah! You found the second one, Hans!” the head hunter- Dick decided- commented gaily, turning towards the new arrivals. “Well done! Though it looks like you have a little something on your face.”

“Funny.” Hans deadpanned, kicking Jason to the ground. The boy merely grunted as he landed flat on his stomach. “Like the reports said, this one is injured. But it doesn't mean he didn't try putting up a fight. Filthy blood sucker!”

Dick wasn't able to mask the sudden confusion that washed over his face over the comment. ' _Blood sucker_ '? They thought Jason was a _vampire_?

Crooked-nose noticed his expression and smirked.

“What? You think we didn't know about your little friend there? We'd known all along that there were two of you hiding out here. It was no sweat tracking you both down.”

Dick was at least grateful that the dunce misread his startled expression (he also stored away the fact that they didn't seem to know about Bruce. That meant he was still out there. Safe). He glanced back at Jason, his eyes asking what was going on. With how adamant the boy had been about transforming earlier, he was questioning why the boy hadn't already. Why hadn't he run away? Was he really too injured to transform? How much had they hurt him?

Dick tried to scan the boy's body for new injuries. Jason was dirtier and a few of his visible bandages were ruffled and hung loosely, revealing his purple bruises and some fresh blood underneath, but there was not much else he could see from his position. Dick feared what the boy may look like beneath his over-sized clothing. Besides a growl here and there, Jason was also very quiet, unnerving Dick even further.

Teal eyes suddenly met with Dick's once again, shocking him when they wasn't filled with the terror and pain that Dick himself was feeling. Instead, the boy looked at him knowingly, cracking a sly grin.

A slew of emotions ran through the teen as he didn't quite know how to feel. He was worried to death, but relieved and even a bit happy to see Jason again and relatively unharmed (for the moment), but he was also still confused. Jason... was he...?

Then a jolt of anger and panic shot through the vampire when Crooked-nose decided to march towards the boy and point his crossbow at him threateningly.

“This one's a bit scrawny, don't you think?” the hunter snorted, using the toe of his boot to roughly pry up Jason's chin so he could get a better look at his face. “He won't sell for much in this condition. Why don't we just kill him now and not have to worry about him later?”

“Don't be a fool, Smith! They're always worth more alive! His buyer can decide what to do with him. Now secure him properly and help me get the bigger one down.”

Jason snapped at the men and shrunk back from their touch as much as he could, but otherwise, he cooperated with their commands to be still. Crooked-nose (or Smith? Meh, Dick didn't care) nudged his boot angrily into Jason's side, glaring sharply at the boy before turning towards Dick. Hans started to tie Jason's hands together behind his back. The dogs stalked around the group, eyes locked on Jason as they emitted a deep, nervous growl.

It only took a moment for the rope to be cut, leaving Dick to gravity's mercy. He grunted painfully when he landed firmly onto the ground atop the metal links. As soon as he could recover, he started to flail once again, in hopes of untangling himself from that mess and then to take Jason and run. His escape plan, however, was stopped dead when that cursed crossbow smacked him sideways across the head, causing him to still.

“Make one false move and we'll be selling you in parts. Got that, freak?”

Dick stared back into the man's hazel eyes with a burning hatred, hoping to threaten the hunter back with just his gaze. The corner of his mouth twitched into a half smile. Oh, how badly he'd like to shove that crossbow up that human's-

“Guys! Something's wrong with this one!” a voice shot out, a bit panicked.

Both the men and Dick turned their gazes towards the third, watching as he stood warily over a convulsing Jason.

Dick couldn't help but cry out in horror at the horrid scene. Crooked-nose snorted irritably before stomping towards the boy and inadvertently blocking Jason from Dick's view.

“I told you he was useless! He's already dying by the looks of it. Are you both still so against me putting the wretch out of his mis-”

Dick wasn't sure what he saw. A flash of black, a sudden roar, followed by a muffled scream and then crimson everywhere. The powerful scent filled Dick's nostrils before the body had even hit the ground. And before Dick could even comprehend what had happened, all hell broke loose.

Alarmed cries broke out, tangled with curses and obscenities. Running and grabbing for weapons. The howls and wet growls of the hounds. Blood still splashing on the yellowing grass from Crooked-nose's punctured jugular. And it all overtaken by the powerful roar emitting from the dark, hairy mass that zoomed through the chaos towards Dick.

The vampire couldn't help but shout and flinch back when the giant black wolf dug its teeth into the chains of the net and suddenly dragged his tangled mess into the recesses of the forest at shocking speeds. Dick nearly cursed as the links dug further into his skin and irritated his wounds, being tossed about in his prison as the wolf ran. However, as painful as the run was, he silently urged Jason to keep moving.

Jason zoomed through the trees. He looked as haggard as ever with his torn wounds wetting and matting down his fur. His legs were wobbly and weak, but the screeching howls of the dogs and stomping of hooves in the distance kept those legs moving. Wolves were known to be exceptionally fast (faster than vampires even), and Dick was impressed how Jason seemed to soar through the brush, despite his wounds and the 100-something pound vampire and net he was dragging with him.

But despite that, Dick could tell that Jason was gradually losing speed. His neck was arched in a painful position as it dragged the weight of the iron net and the teen. When Dick took the effort during the run to look at the wolf's eyes, he could easily spot the agony held within them. He would have immediately commanded Jason to stop, to leave him, if not for that spark of determination that sparkled in those very same eyes.

It wasn't long into the run when Dick was shaken from the snares of the net, rolling out rather suddenly and painfully onto the forest ground. Jason immediately unhinged his jaw to drop the net. Blood covered the panting wolf's gums, both his own and the hunter's he had managed to kill. Dick ignored the pain shooting through his body and locked eyes with the beast standing before him. Despite his wounds and obvious weakness, Jason was an impressive display. He was already the size of a full grown regular wolf, and he was young yet. He was still visually very thin, but his midnight black fur was able to hide just how scrawny, filling him out more and making him still look threatening. Dick also observed that the boy had a patch of white fur on his forehead.

Jason barked at him. The teen wasn't sure how but he was able to hear the irritation in the wolf's voice. He could almost hear the boy impatiently telling him to get off his butt and run. The stern look in his eyes only added to confirm Dick's understanding.

The howling of the dogs alerted the two of their nearing pursuers, causing Dick jump to his feet. “I'm not leaving you!” he said quickly, voice full of fear. Jason's snout crinkled and he shot Dick a glare as if saying 'the hell you are!', before suddenly sprinting off into the trees.

Dick cursed, leaning against a tree for support. There was no way he could catch up in his condition. He knew that Jason was trying to draw them away from him, and though the wolf's performance had been impressive thus far, he knew he wouldn't last long. But neither would Dick... and if he got himself caught again, then all of Jason's strenuous effort would have been in vain.

Dick clenched his jaw and punched the tree harshly, leaving a slight indent in the trunk and splitting his knuckles.

Using all the energy he had left, he jumped into the tree, climbing it close to the top before leaping cautiously to another. And another.

The crazed howls of the hound dogs flew by him like a passing storm. They paid no attention to him, obviously locked onto Jason's scent. The stomping of horses weren't far behind, but unlike the dogs, they suddenly came to to a halt. Dick tensed nervously. The horses trotted impatiently, huffing loudly.

A large clunk as one of the men jumped to the ground, cursing.

“Damned vampire got away.”

“I can see that. But he couldn't have gotten far with his injuries. We could split up-”

“It's no use without the dogs. Besides, the two could still be together. Best to follow the dogs before we lose track of them. Like I said, I don't want to have to train more of them. This hunt has been far trickier than expected. These monsters are smarter than most.”

“Who would of thought that brat was a werewolf!? We didn't prepare to fight one of those! And with a vampire of all things?! Have you even heard of that happening?!”

“No. But it doesn't matter right now. We need to hurry. We can't let that mutt get away, especially after killing Smith.”

Dick heard some more angry swearing and the rustling of chains and of a saddle. And with a sharp cry, the horses were racing off again, leaving Dick alone and safe, crouching in the shade and branches of the trees. He was breathing heavily, eyes shut, hand pressing down on the wound in his shoulder. He had to calm down. He needed to get help. Fast! If Jason was going to have any sort of a chance, he needed to get help. They needed-.

Dick turned his gaze sharply as something dark zoomed through his peripheral. It had disappeared momentarily, only to suddenly zoom by him again, screeching angrily.

It was a bat.

Flying hurriedly about. In the daytime...

Bruce.

Yes, Bruce. Bruce was looking for them! He could fix this. Bruce could fix this!

 

Cupping his hands, he reached out, clicking his tongue in a silly attempt to call the winged creature. It fluttered around him, starting to screech louder and louder.

“I'm here. Take me to Bruce. We need him. Now.”

After another screech the bat flew off, disappearing into the trees. Dick sucked in a huge breath before attempting to move again. He grunted as he stepped forward, but did his best to push the pain back. Leaping to another branch, Dick disappeared after the bat.

 

 

o00o00o00o

 

 

Everything ached. And that was putting things lightly. Jason's legs felt like jello. With every step he took, he was sure his legs would give out. He hurt so bad...maybe it would be better if he just stopped now. But with every howl that cried out behind him, his heart beat faster and adrenaline numbed the pain just enough to keep going. He could hear a river not far from here. If he could get ahead, he could use the stream to scatter his scent and hopefully lose his pursuers.

It was a good plan. A great plan, actually. Fantastic in fact! But his body could only take so much more.

He broke through the line of trees and into a large clearing where a large, running river cut through. His paws took another few bounds before his hind legs just gave out. The momentum caused him to crash roughly into the ground.

A shrill moan scratched out of his throat. He took a couple deep breathes in attempt to fill his burning lungs before attempting to stand again. His legs shook horribly, his broken one crying out in agony, but he needed to get away. He needed to go now. Not much farther and he could be free...

Not more than few steps and the hounds were leaping over the hedges, mouths wide and snarling, thick drool flying from their lips as they speed towards the larger wolf. Jason's lips automatically lifted back to match their fierce snarls, snapping at them ferociously as they cornered him against the base of the river. They ran laps around him, nipping at his heels and at his side, distracting him while waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Jason quickly lost patience and surged forwards, fangs catching into the scruff of one of the dog's necks. He shook the animal like a rag as his grip tore further into the creature's flesh. The second bared down on him, nearly knocking Jason off his feet when he felt teeth and claws ripping at his side. He used all his strength to toss the hound in his teeth to the side before striking at the second, nearly roaring in anger. He used his larger size to knock over the hound and dug his claws into the creature's soft stomach. The beast howled in pain.

The sting of teeth ripping at the fur and skin at his neck drew his attention back, whipping his head back to painfully dislodge his attacker before lunging back, tackling the dog to the ground and sinking his teeth into its throat. The dog continued to struggle for a few moments, screeching like an ungodly siren before it suddenly dropped into a faint whine.

Jason released the dying animal, trying all he could just to get back on his feet. He somehow managed to stand up, but was unable to move any further. He just stood there, jowls wide as he fought for air, blood and saliva dripping down his jaw. Tail drooping lifelessly. Fresh wounds covered his trembling body, making him feel small.

The remaining dog had already retreated, bounding away as fast as it could with its injuries, crying fearfully. But this didn't provide much of a relief for the poor wolf, because that's when the horses sudden broke through into the clearing, huffing wildly and skidding to a quick stop. Their riders were vigilant and alert, quick to grab their weapons upon witnessing the scene of blood.

Jason remained where he stood, imagining his legs were made of wood so they could hold up his drooping body. His head dropped, but his eyes remained focused on the two hunters. He would have smirked at the horror and anger that crossed their faces. Idiots. Did they think they could mess with him and not have a few casualties?

“We weren't prepared for this, Mac! You said we were dealing with a couple of vampires! You said nothin' about freaking wolves!” One of the men- the one that originally caught him- snapped to the other, not taking his eyes off of Jason.

“I'm in the same boat, Hans! We had the same intel! No one knew this devil was here!”

“He's already costing us more than he's worth! We can sell the coat but he's already nearly in tatters! We cut him any more and he's worthless!”

Mac nodded, brow furrowed. “Best we just take him out right now.” He was suddenly drawing the pistol from his side. “All I have are silver bullets, but it'll drop him like a rock. We'll have to remember to dig it back out of him when this is over. Don't want to waste it.”

Jason would have told them how flattered he was for such consideration if he could. He instead continued to glare at them, watching as they continued to spat about what to do with him, both while keeping their cursed gazes locked on him, ready for any sort of movement.

Jason knew he couldn't fight any more. Heck, even they knew it. He must have looked just as bad if he felt if that was the case. He let his ears turn and rather than listened to the humans bicker, he took in the sounds of the forest. The river churned peacefully, yet the droning roar of rapids further downstream could be easily heard. The wind blew ever so slightly, rustling through the trees and tickling his fur. It was almost soothing.

The wolf took a tired step back, but his leg immediately hitched, sending his haunches awkwardly to the ground. He grunted raggedly, trying to keep his front legs firm but unable to get his hind legs to work. Jason couldn't stop the pathetic whine from slipping out of his throat and he struggled to get back to his feet. But for the life of him he just couldn't get his body to cooperate.

He heard the clicking of the gun before he saw it, aiming at what he assumed must have been his head. He flinched back, scrunching his eyes shut. As proud as he was and claimed to be, he couldn't watch. His ears fell flat and the scruff on his neck stood on end.

He couldn't lie to himself at this point. He was terrified. The end for him had finally come. In the frayed edges of his dark and frenzied mind, a picture of Dick materialized before him. The boy-the vampire- that saved his life and somehow...somehow accepted him. He'd accepted Jason when no when else would. It saddened him that the teen had saved his life for nothing. For the day he knew him, all he'd done was drag Dick into his stupid messes, nearly costing him his life as well. Jason could at least be somewhat satisfied that Dick had gotten away. He'd find Bruce and the two could be back on their way, pretending that this pathetic wolf was nothing but a sour dream that they'd forget about the next day.

The thought almost hurt more than his body.

But he could take satisfaction in the fact that his pain wouldn't last more than a second longer.

 

As expected, Jason's vision grew dark just as soon as the gun fired. The blackness swallowing Jason up like scattered pieces of a puzzle, all coming together at once, and filling his ears with a high pitched drone.

He had expected the pain to just vanish. Maybe then he'd wake up somewhere (whether werewolves go to a certain heaven or hell, he was never sure) or he'd just cease to exist in that very moment. But instead, in that instant when everything went black, something large and powerful rammed into his body, knocking him back until his feet no longer touched the ground and he was suddenly engulfed by ice.

He took a startled breath in shock, but instead liquid filled his lungs. He kicked about fighting, but simply continued to spin, lungs burning. He was weightless and felt like he was falling into some dark and eternal abyss.

Huh. Those religious fanatics were way off on the whole fiery pit thing. But he supposed that drowning for an eternity in a black pit would be much more torturous.

He'd opened his eyes for just a second, realizing that it wasn't as dark as he'd thought. Light flickered above him (or was it below?), allowing him visibility enough to see enough to see his floating limbs still, and then tell see the darkness encroaching on him once again. This time, rather than spots of darkness appearing, it seeped in on him from the inside out, blacking out the faint light as the water filled his lungs.

_Wonder where I'll end up this time?_

This time, the pain and the cold really did fade.

 

…....for what seemed like a few seconds at least.

 

The stinging bite of cold stabbed into his body and his throat and chest viciously as his body forced out the water from his lungs. He continued to cough and sputter, achingly fighting to get enough air. He had collapsed to the ground, body soaked to the bone and sodden black fur sticking up in messy clumps at different angles. His pain was numbed by the cold, but lingered in the background, reminding him that it was still there and waiting. He was trembling furiously from the cold and dug his head against his chest, just trying to anchor himself and figure out what was going on.

It took longer than he'd have liked to finally find himself again. A calming pressure running over his neck caused him to glance up to spot Dick- bloody and bruised, but in one piece- petting him gently. Jason realized late that the teen was speaking to him, reassuring him that he was okay, but the ringing in his ears drowned out his words.

Without even thinking, Jason sagged into the boy, resting his worn head onto Dick's lap and leaning into his warmth. Dick had seemed surprised by the movement, but quickly accepted it. He wrapped his arms to cradle the giant wolf head. He continued to stroke Jason's dripping fur and whisper consolingly:

“You're okay, Jason. Everything is alright now. We got you. We got you.”

 

Jason had wanted to sleep now and rest his weary mind and body, but he soon found that he couldn't once his eye spotted Bruce. Suddenly he was wide awake. Head bobbed up off of Dick's lap (but the teen still kept his hold around him) and stared wide eyed at the scene playing out before him.

Bats.

Hundreds of black bats flying about madly, their screeches filling his ears and covering the blue sky in black, fluttering clumps.

Bruce's looming, dark figure stood amongst the creatures. His figure would disappear a few times, flickering in one spot to suddenly appear in another. With the confusion of the bats and the pounding in Jason's head, he doubted he was seeing things right.

Dull screams that were just barely perceptible behind the screeches reached Jason. Among the chaos, he spotted one man on the ground, literally beaten to a bloody pulp. His broken body twitching repetitively: the signs of a dying man. Just an inch from his twisted hand sat the revolver, the one that had been just milliseconds away from taking Jason's life.

More crunching and screaming, and Bruce was dropping the limp body of the second hunter. Though this corpse carried cleaner, smoother wounds than the first, he was still a mess. A clear sign of a vampire's anger.

Jason's eyes wondered in a mixture of immense awe and incredible fear as Bruce turned back towards them, leaving the bodies in a forgotten pile. Bats continued to swarm and fly around Bruce, as if revolving around him like an axis. Bruce's face was hard, and nearly expressionless, though it invoked darkness and fear. It was majestic, summoning fealty, and also heart crushing terror. If this giant, sturdy figure wasn't intimidating enough, then all Jason had to do was realize just how effortlessly he had destroyed those two hunters.

“Remember when we were talking about the Wayne family?” Dick interjected suddenly, “Their power is more than just legend. I couldn't even believe it myself until I first saw Bruce in action.”

Jason swallowed nervously, heart pumping fast, unable to respond even if it was possible in his current form.

 

The circling bats started to depart as Bruce drew closer, dissipating just as fast as the rage did from his face. It was a strange transformation, watching as Bruce's intimidating mask faded from his face and morphed into an expression of worry. Brows crossed in concern and jaw clenched tightly. Jason even caught a hint of guilt in his eyes. Bruce reached them quickly, kneeling beside the two boys with his eyes scanning over them meticulously. It took all of Jason's strength not to flinch away from the man.

“Are you two alright?” he asked, his voice strained with worry but firm enough that the boys knew he required a straight and honest answer.

“We've been through this already, Bruce. I'm fine. Nothing that a full stomach and some sleep can't fix.”

Bruce didn't seem fully convinced, but he let it go for now. His eyes suddenly locked with Jason's. The boy had expected his expression to grow cold and uncaring, but to his surprise, the worry remained etched in his face when directed at him. Jason wasn't sure what to think or what to feel at that moment. Sure, he hadn't known Bruce long, but he had seen enough of him to create a solid profile of the man in his mind, and what he thought of him, but the look in the vampire's eye destroyed everything that Jason thought he knew about the man.

“Jason, are you alright? I'm sorry. I got a little...thoughtless when pushing you out of the way. I didn't intend to knock you into the river.”

Bruce may have said more, but Jason's ears started ringing when his gaze lowered and he caught sight of the blood seeping through the fabric on Bruce's shoulder. Jason's eyes grew wide in alarm, and suddenly he was struggling to sit up. To do what exactly, he wasn't even sure. He was quickly met with the hands of both Bruce and Dick, gentle but firm as they held him back down, both probably trying to talk him out of any movement in his condition.

Multitudes of thoughts, questions and words he wished to speak flew through his mind so fast that Jason couldn't think at all. He couldn't control his body or his actions. After being pushed back down from rising once again, he suddenly felt the familiar stretching and compressing of his body. Bones cracking and dislodging to take a different form. Skin ripping and constricting, tearing more at his wounds. Jason hadn't even registered the high pitched wail was being ripped from his own throat from the agonizing wave of pain that overcame him.

Fur melted away last, leaving the soaked, bare body of his 10 year old self left trembling against Dick. Muscles spasmed and Jason gave a shaky moan. Hands were quickly on him, wrapping him in a dirty but dry cloak, before carefully lifting his light body. He was being cradled in powerful arms which he had seen tear a man apart just moments ago. Yet he felt safe, being held in those arms and against that firm chest.

Words floated over him indistinguishably. As if he found himself underwater once again. The feeling of floating and the blackness taking hold of his consciousness nearly made him believe so too, if not for the warmth starting to seep into his bruised and bloody skin.

Jason wanted to speak. He'd wanted to speak to Bruce and Dick. To say something that stuck at the tip of his tongue, but refused to come out. His mind slowed until he wasn't even sure anymore of what words he had desired to utter, and everything disappeared all together, lulled to sleep by the beating of a very, very slow heart beat.

 

 

o00o00o00o

 

Bruce sat silently, back arched and shoulders hunched just slightly, eyes locked onto the unconscious boy near the fire. It was like a long moment of deja vu, watching the orange glow of the fire reflect off the drastic contours of the boy's shallow cheeks and sharp cheek bones. His laxed, peaceful expression was marred by the dark circles under his eyes and the bandages poking out from just under the dark cloak that wrapped around him.

Dark gray feelings of disgust, pity, worry, and regret warred within him, each directed at different sources-the hunters, the boy, Dick, himself- and fighting for dominance over the vampire's racing thoughts. Then unexpectedly, other strange, but colorful emotions began to barge their way into the fray- intrigue, pride, respect, gratitude- feelings that he hadn't expected to feel towards this werewolf cub.

Bruce used the emotionless mask he had long ago created to hide the roaring feelings within. He was surprised, and maybe even a tad fearful of what was happening within him. Not because had never felt so many conflicting feelings before, but because he had. It felt very similar to that time when Bruce had first met Dick.

But this...this was still different; harder to accept. And yet, there was a strange eagerness lurking in the back of his mind, urging him to accept the challenge of this new and strange boy. This eagerness, however, frightened Bruce as well.

Thoughts cut off when Bruce suddenly hissed, body tensing in pain for a brief moment.

“Ouch.”

“Did you just-?” Dick's voice suddenly caught his attention and drew in his gaze. The teen sat at his side, covered in fresh wrappings and dark bruises. If it wasn't for those obvious wounds, Bruce may have forgotten that the the boy had nearly lost his life that day by the way Dick was acting.

His face was as lively as ever, revealing to Bruce everything the boy was feeling without having to read into him. And at the present moment, his eyes were wide and shocked, but alertly awaiting a sort of response. His mouth remained open, lips raised ever slightly, stuck in between a disbelieving laugh and a snarky grin.

Bruce refused to indulge.

“I'm fine. Just hurry up and get it out, will you.” he grumbled, hiding any sign of the lightning sharp pain that shot up from the wound on his shoulder.

“You can't fool me Bruce!” Dick accused, lips raising. “You actually said it! So the infamous Bruce Wayne- _The Bat_ who crawls through the nightmares of even the bravest of hunters- can feel pain! Wow-wee. If only the world could see you now!”

Dick started snickering. He didn't stop when Bruce shot him a stern glare, but did return his attention to his mentor's perforated shoulder. A small but steady stream of blood seeped from the small hole.

“Well if it hurts so much, then you shouldn't have demanded to go last.” Dick admonished, sticking a thin pair of tweasers into the wound. Bruce bit back a hiss.

The wound was far from serious. But, being inflicted by a silver bullet, it could become deadly over time, or if shot in the right place. The blood that spilled from the wound was minimal, and yet it refused to clot. Not when that bullet was still there.

But this was still nothing he couldn't handle. He wouldn't let Dick even get near the wound until he was sure that both Dick and Jason were patched up and okay.

“I said I'm fine, Dick. You and Jason needed the care much more than I.”

“Still,” Dick shrugged, “I've had the honor of being on the receiving end of a silver weapon in my life, and it is not fun.”

Bruce didn't feel the need to respond. Especially when his entire attention was needed in order to keep a straight face once Dick reached the offending object buried in his flesh. The blood seemed to gush out in one large stream for just a second after the bullet was removed, only to slow to a stop not long after.

“Souvenir?” Dick offered, holding the small silver ball out for Bruce to take before setting to clean, stitch, and wrap the wound.

Bruce held the metal just above eye level, looking it over carefully.

“They're improving.” he thought aloud, “Quality of silver is increasing. They're able to make it purer; more potent.”

Dick grimaced.

“We'll have to do some further investigation into this. With how rapidly industry is growing, it's likely that the quantity is increasing as well.”

“Well isn't that just dandy.”

Bruce snorted, managing a small smile at the boy.

“Weapons too. We'll need to investigate what kind of new products are being released on the market. These silver lined nets you mentioned are new.”

“Yeah. Nasty things.”

Bruce tilted his head, scanning over his young ward as he worked on wrapping his wound. It'd been 5 years since he'd taken the boy as his own, teaching him how to fight, how to protect, how to investigate, etc...and Bruce was often surprised at just how much the boy had grown since then. They'd become quite a team in Bruce's quest for justice, and his chest swelled with pride at the thought.

But guilt was quick to take hold when eyes made contact with some of the many bandages covering Dick's body. Vampires like them can't simply live a normal, safe life. Not anymore. But it was possible for them to live better than this; better than jumping head first into the danger.

And then there was that other thing...

“Dick. You don't have to do this if you don't want to.”

“You kidding me, Bruce? If I left it to you, you'd bleed out.” Dick laughed, just finishing the wrapping around Bruce's shoulder.

“I don't mean that. I mean the hunting.”

Dick shot Bruce a bewildered look, still not sure what Bruce was getting at exactly.

“We can find someplace for you. Somewhere safe. I've taught you enough that you have the ability and skills to protect yourself and live a more peaceful life.”

“Is this because I messed up?” Dick looked sincerely frightened by this prospect, sitting up straightly and staring Bruce widely in the eye.

“No no.” Bruce was quick to clarify. “I just want what's best for you. And dragging you along with me on these trips are far from that.”

Dick's frown transformed into a questioning smile.

“That depends on what you classify as the 'best'. Bruce, I knew- well, maybe I didn't exactly know what I was jumping into at first, but I certainly do now. We're a team! There is no where else I'd rather be. I promise. Even if I do get cut up a little and have to clean up after you.”

Bruce nodded, folding his hands together in deep contemplation. He couldn't kick Dick out of this, but it didn't make him any less worried.

 

_You. I know you who are..._

 

“Alright. But know that you can quit at any time.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” Dick snorted, possessing one of his trademark smiles. Bruce couldn't help but smile back. He lifted himself to his feet, laying a firm hand over the teen's shoulder.

“You are a great partner. I can't deny that.”

Dick smiled. “So does this mean I'm not grounded?”

“Oh no. You still messed up horribly with this one. You're benched until your wounds heal, and then a month after that.”

“Urgh! Bruuuuce!” The teen moaned, lifting his hands into the air before falling back in despair.

Bruce snorted before leaving boy to check on Jason. Kneeling down beside the boy, he lifted a hand, feeling his forehead and listening to his soft breathing. It wasn't until then that he caught the change in the lad's breathing, realizing he was already awake.

“Don't punish Dick.” a weak voice muttered. “This shit's all on me.”

Bruce was somehow relieved to hear that young, vulgar voice again.

“I know. You'll be punished too. But I'm not about to let Dick off the hook. Now, if you are able to sit up, Jason, you need to eat something.”

With a few pained grunts and lots of help from Bruce, Jason managed to sit up, muttering, “I'm not yours to punish.”

“Jason!”

Bruce was quick to move out of Dick's way. He shot to Jason's side, alternating between crying out his name happily and apologizing profusely. Bruce could see that the teen was having a hard time restraining himself from tackling the wounded boy into a fierce hug.

“It's fine, monkey boy. Now get out of my face!” Jason growled, but voice lacking any of the usual malice.

Bruce watched the two boys carefully, taking in just how relaxed Jason had become and how Dick hovered over the former protectively while he ran his mouth widely about how worried he was. Jason's mouth would quirk into the slightest of smiles as he insulted the older boy.

Bruce deduced it'd be best to leave the two boys to themselves. He sat back and watched as Dick took care to check Jason's wounds and give him water and food. Jason was relatively silent, which could easily be explained by the pain and exhaustion, but Bruce sensed that there was something else to it. What's more, every few minutes or so, Bruce would spot Jason's eyes shift to steal a glance at him, shooting away when he realized Bruce was watching.

It wasn't until much later, once Dick had chatted himself away into a restful sleep, that Bruce dared to address the kid.

“How are you feeling?” he started.

Jason's gaze remained on the fire, taking a moment before answering, “I've been better.”

Bruce could only nod in understanding before he too fell silent again, staring into the flames.

“I wanted to thank you for today.” he suddenly broke out, finally catching the boy's curious eyes.

“For what?”

“For saving Dick. He filled me in on everything. You could have just run away to save yourself. But instead, you put your own life at risk to save him. And all while already wounded. You did good today, kid. I'm both very grateful and very impressed.”

Jason broke off his gaze, looking away shyly, cheeks reddening for some reason.

“I-” he struggled with finding the right words. “I couldn't- I couldn't just leave him to them. Not since he was fighting for me too. I barely know this idiot, and already he's risked himself for me twice. I couldn't let him be killed for my sake.”

Teal eyes shot back to Bruce's as if his actions had been anything but brave or noble. As if it was the most obvious thing to do.

Bruce couldn't hold back a smile.

“No. Dick is many things, but not an idiot. I on the other hand...” Bruce stood up, approaching the young boy and lowering to one knee before him.

“Jason, I'd like to apologize. I've-”

“You saved my life.” Jason broke in, stopping Bruce. His teal gaze stared intently into his own. “You saved me.” he repeated. “That wound,” he nodded towards Bruce's shoulder. “you got that because of me. You jumped in the way.”

Jason suddenly grew quiet, face growing nervous. Bruce listened intently, waiting to see what Jason was going to say next.

“Why?” his question sounded more like a statement than an inquiry. “Why would someone like you take a silver bullet for someone like me?”

Bruce hesitated before answering. He honestly hadn't thought of that. Why had he jumped in front of Jason at that moment?Similar to Jason's thinking earlier, it had just seemed obvious to Bruce why. But when he thought deeper into it...why had he essentially risked his life for a young wolf?

“Because-” he searched his head for a plethora of reasonable answers, but in the end, he was unable to use any of them. “Because you're under my protection now. I took you in. You're my responsibility now. And as long as that's the case, no one is going to touch you.”

The words felt awkward in Bruce's mouth, but they were true. He watched Jason, expecting the boy to make some sort of angered retort and demanding a real answer, but instead Jason muttered an “Oh.”

And that was that.

Jason turned his gaze back towards the ground, again appearing nervous.

“I guess we're even then?” he murmured quietly, causing Bruce to chuckle. Jason frowned, looking at Bruce in surprise, not believing that he'd really made the big bad bat man to actually chuckle.

Bruce followed up by giving the boy another warm smile and without thinking, instinctively mussed the boys hair.

“Yeah. I guess we are, chum.”

 

 

o00o00o00o

 

Bellies full. Wounds cleaned and wrapped. Weariness from the day's escapades pulling them into a peaceful sleep. The trio were safe for the time being.

 _For the time being_. That was the case, and would always be the case for their kind. But, for now, it was okay.

Yet Bruce was kept awake. Danger always lurked in their future. He'd learned that very early in his life. He also learned to take advantage of those pockets of safety in between. But his mind couldn't help but replay the words that rattled through his head. At the end of the fight. The words of that final hunter that were unheard by all by him:

 

_“You! Wha-what are you?!”_

_Easily dodging the projectiles aimed at him, he shot towards the man. A powerful punch to the gut, then quickly grabbing the man's wrist. He snapped it easily, causing the offending hand to release its weapon. His other hand lashed out towards Bruce, knife in hand. Bruce snatched the forearm and twisted it behind the man's back, listing to the crunch and the pain riddled scream common to the dislocating of a shoulder._

_“You- you monster!” the man cried between the pain._

“ _You're one to talk.” A simple swipe of the feet and the man lay prostrate on the ground, both arms completely useless to fight back. Usually Bruce would have left the man alone by this point, having made his point not to mess with them again, but after seeing the wounds covering his two boys, his thoughts had moved far passed the point of mercy._

_He reached down, fingers circling around the bare throat._

_Eyes filled with a mix of terror, rage and disgust looked into his. And suddenly, they widened, as if in realization. A choked laughter caused Bruce to loosen his grip ever so slightly._

_“Wait- You. I know who you are. I know who you are now!”_

_Bruce was curious enough to allow the man to continue._

_“But The Bat- is meant to be mere legend. I never believed that you actually existed. But he-_ he _knew. He was right! That freak was actually right!”_

_“Who?” Bruce demanded, tightening his grip._

_This only caused the man to wheeze out another short laugh. His eyes had grown wide and unfocused in those last moments, reminding Bruce of those of a madman._

_“Someone is looking for you! He's looking and- and he's going to find you!” he laughed._

“ _I've never met anyone like him! A mad genius, that one! A sadist! No one is safe around him, especially those who he takes interest in! I've seen him work! He's going to find you and make you suffer!” Eyes flashed wildly in the direction that he knew Dick and Jason to be. “And he's going to make those runts suffer first! Tear them to pieces while he lau-”_

_CRACK_

 

And cackling fell silent.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was one chaotic chapter.
> 
> I hope that you guys are enjoying this. I certainly enjoyed writing it, even if I was reminded by how bad I am at writing action scenes....and dialogue. Especially for one dimensional enemies with no hardly any character since they were written just to cause trouble and die.
> 
>  
> 
> FYI, updates will be much slower from now on. Now that I've established the premise of this story, I'm leaving it to return most of my focus to my primary story. I already have plenty of ideas for this that I am dying to write and will write periodically. But as soon as I finish my other fic, then this one will become my main focus.
> 
> So sorry. But thank you for reading!
> 
> Comments are much appreciated. Also open for suggestions or ideas of things you want to see.


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